Serenity
by Meowzy-chan
Summary: Fifteen years ago, Yuan convinced Kratos to join the Renegades. Now, their plan to stop Yggdrasill will finally be set in motion. [YxK]
1. Prologue

((A/N: The time is ripe for another serious fic by Meowzy! But first... NOTES!  
-I'll immediately start off with saying that this fic has YuanxKratos. Can't stand the guyxguy? Don't read. Wanna flame? Go ahead, I don't care.  
- Meowzy does not own Tales of Symphonia or the characters. That counts for all chapters to come!  
- This story starts off lightly, but will have a few dark themes later on. I'll probably point that out in an Author's Note of the chapter in question. Duh.  
- It's slightly Alternate Universe. The Prologue and the first chapter will explain exactly how A-U it will be. I wanna dedicate this story to my friend **Katra**, as the plot for this was originally developed for our collab fic Secrecy. After we decided to end Secrecy, however, I asked Kat if I could use the plot for a new fic. With a few tweaks, ofcourse. Thanks Katra!  
-The Prologue is third person P.O.V., but the chapters are first person. They'll switch between Yuan, Kratos and a few other characters later on.  
- Please support writers by leaving reviews! It doesn't take much time and brings the author lots of joy!))

* * *

Prologue.

Kratos stood on the edge of the cliff, rain pooling down on him, as Yuan approached him. One look in Kratos' eyes told his friend what had happened. Kvar had found them.

"I've lost it all. Anna… Lloyd… They're all gone." Kratos spoke softly, staring at the ground.

"Are you going to return to Cruxis now?" Yuan questioned.

"What choice do I have?"

Yuan thought deeply, weighing his options, as lightning illuminated the scene. The low rumble of thunder came soon after. He glanced around to see if anyone was near, but the scene was deserted.

"Do you want to get back at Yggdrasill?" he asked. "Do you want to stop his reign and return the world to its original form?"

Kratos looked up blankly, raindrops mixing with his tears. "It can't be done."

"It can, if we work together. If we find a way to obtain Yggdrasill's power source, we'll have him grovelling at our feet. And then, you can have your revenge." Yuan took another step forward.

"You're suggesting defying Yggdrasill out in the open?" Kratos asked, crossing his arms.

"Not in the open. Undercover." Yuan whispered. "Join my Renegades."

"_Your_ Renegades?" Kratos' eyes widened slightly.

"_My_ Renegades." Yuan repeated. "Ofcourse, you can lead them with me. You wouldn't be a low-ranked nameless soldier."

"I…" Kratos looked away.

"Are you going to let Anna's death go to waste? And what about Lloyd? Don't you want to avenge them?"

"… I accept."


	2. Preparations

((A/N: Let's get this show on the road! A little bit of fluff and mystery to kick this story off. Yup yup.))

* * *

Chapter one, Yuan's P.O.V.  
Preparations.

It was fifteen years since I'd convinced Kratos to join the Renegades. Fifteen years since he lost his family. He'd returned to Cruxis, under the pretence that he would be loyal to Yggdrasill once again. Though in reality, he had moved into the Triet base with me.

Most of the Renegades weren't too glad that their new leader was human. I warned them that they weren't allowed to question Kratos' orders, and that I wouldn't tolerate discrimination within our organisation. Afterall, that was what we were fighting against.

It took us years to come up with a plan to stop Yggdrasill. Years of preparation, that were now almost complete. Soon, everything would be set in motion. Ofcourse, what worried me the most was how dangerous it was. One little mistake could mean the end of it all.

"Yuan?"

I blinked to see Kratos leaning over me, bearing a slightly worried expression. As we worked together on our common goal, we'd set our differences aside again. We'd grown towards each other, a relationship developing between us as we learned to look out for each other. Both of us tried to forgot the family we _could_'ve had, focussing on our new family instead. Though Kratos started off sleeping in a spare bed, it wasn't long before we shared one. What started off as mutual comfort evolved into love.

"Yes?" I asked, resting my head on my arms as I lay in bed, glancing up at him. Moonlight streamed into the room though the window and a quick glance at the clock told me it was past midnight.

"You seem concerned. Is something wrong?" Kratos moved some stray hairs from my face, stroking my cheek.

"No, it's nothing." I lied. Apparently, he'd noticed.

"Tell me." He said, a slightly commanding tone in his voice.

I sighed helplessly. "I was thinking about our plan. If something goes wrong…"

"Nothing will go wrong. You spent years perfecting it." Kratos smiled warmly, causing my stomach to squirm.

"With your help…" I added slowly. "But the chances of something unexpected happening are extremely high."

"When all the preparations are complete, those chances will be close to zero." He assured me, though I still had some doubts.

"If you say so…"

"Get some sleep, alright? If all goes well, we can get started on the first step tomorrow." He placed a quick kiss on my forehead, before lying down again and wrapping his arms around me.

"Ah… Alright." I snuggled up against him, closing my eyes. If I wanted this plan to succeed, I had to banish all doubt from my mind.

* * *

The next morning, we headed into our office to start working. Kratos' desk was placed next to mine, granting us both a slightly limited workspace. Still, I was glad to have Kratos' help, as my work was now cut in half. It was hard to imagine I used to do all this by myself. 

Taking out a few files, we both got to work. Renegade paperwork was just _so_ boring, but it had to be done. Someone needed to take care of financing and we couldn't rely on Botta to do it for us. He was always on other missions at the time.

Covering my mouth to stifle a yawn, I suddenly got hit on the side of the head by something. Slightly startled, I saw a small, crumpled piece of paper land on my desk. I unfurled it to see it was empty. Turning my head to cast a curious gaze at Kratos, I noticed he was still concentrated on his paperwork. The mischievous grin on his face, however, told me enough.

Smiling faintly, I reached out for a nearby memo pad, crunching one of the notes into a small pellet. Then I unscrewed my pen, taking out the contents to use it as a blowpipe. Kratos let out a startled cry and his hand shot to his cheek as he got hit.

"Why you-" he growled, turning to glare at me. But I knew he wasn't serious. Deep down, he was amused.

"What?" I asked innocently, twirling the 'blowpipe' between my fingers.

"Prepare to die!"

* * *

Ten minutes later, Kratos and I froze at the sound of a timid cough and turned our heads to glance at Botta. 

"You two are at it again?" he sighed, shaking his head.

At the moment, I was sitting on Kratos' lap, trying to force a paper airplane up one of his nostrils. The human's right hand was down my pants, as he attempted to drop an entire load of paper wads into my underwear. Luckily, Botta couldn't see that, as the desk was in the way.

"Ah, sorry." We both mumbled. I quickly got off Kratos' lap and returned to my seat. Kratos sat up straight, running a hand through his hair and causing a few more bits of paper to fall to the ground.

"I've come to give my report on the chosen." Botta said, trying to act as though he didn't see anything suspicious.

"Very well." I spoke, giving him permission to proceed.

"He celebrated his twenty-second birthday quite abundantly. If I'm not mistaken, the party is still going on." Botta began, smiling faintly. "However, it seems that he does not have his Cruxis crystal."

"He doesn't?" Kratos raised an eyebrow. "But we made sure that it was in his hand when he was born. The cathedral of Martel has no right to take it from him and neither does the king."

"Apparently, he gave it away." Botta shrugged nervously.

"_What_?" I exclaimed, placing both my hands on the desk surface with a bang. How could anyone be so irresponsible? The Cruxis crystal is one of the greatest treasures in the world and the absolute proof that you are the chosen one.

"His half sister, who lives in the South-East abbey, is supposed to take care of it for him. Perhaps he thought it wasn't safe in Meltokio."

I heard Kratos sigh deeply. This posed a problem. Without the Cruxis crystal, the chosen would be useless to us.

"That concludes my report." Botta commented, apparently eager to leave.

"Very well. You're dismissed."

Botta gave a short salute, before leaving the room. The door slid shut behind him as I turned to Kratos with a concerned expression.

"What now?" I asked, hoping he would have an idea.

"We'll still have a talk with the chosen. If he agrees, he can retrieve the crystal from his sister." Kratos pondered.

"And if he doesn't?" I questioned.

"We'll have a big problem." Kratos sighed, turning back to his paperwork.

I ran a hand through my hair, thinking deeply. Sure, when all preparations are finished, the chances of unexpected events would be close to zero. But what if something unexpected happens, ensuring you can't finish the preparations?

I looked up as a small paper airplane suddenly came whizzing past my face, knocking over a pot of ink that was on my desk.

"Why you!-"


	3. The Chosen

((A/N: 7 reviewers? Thanks, everyone! -_hug_-))

* * *

Chapter two, Kratos' P.O.V.  
The Chosen.

Yuan and I strode through Meltokio, keeping a close eye out for our target. It had been fifteen years since I joined his Renegades. Fifteen years since I lost my wife, child and even my pet. As much as it hurt, I vowed to myself not to dwell on that any longer. There were more pressing matters at hand.

The first step of the plan would finally be taken. The plan to stop Yggdrasill for good. There were many loopholes, giving Yuan every right to be concerned. I tried my best to convince him things would be fine, though. Once you hesitate, the chances of mistakes would only increase.

The first step was to find a warrior with supreme strength. Someone who could be moulded into doing everything we said. Someone with lots of unseen potential. But, most importantly, someone to take the blame. There was only one idiot perfect for the job.

"Zelos Wilder…"

The red-head looked up at the mention of his name. At the moment, he was sitting on a park bench, surrounded by his so-called 'hunnies'. His eyes narrowed suspiciously for a fraction of a second. Then he was suddenly wearing a carefree expression.

"That's me. The great Zelos Wilder!" he said happily.

"I'm Kratos Aurion, and this is my associate Yuan. We have a proposition for you." I spoke, crossing my arms.

Zelos seemed to stare right through me with his bright blue eyes, before turning his gaze to Yuan. Some sort of hateful emotion was hidden behind that wide grin.

"He's a half-elf." The chosen commented casually. His lady-friends immediately stared at Yuan as well.

"So what if I am?" Yuan glared down at the boy. His race had always been a touchy subject.

"My partner's bloodline is of little relevance. You should know that more than anyone, _chosen one_." I said, knowing it would have an instant effect.

"True." Zelos shrugged and sat up. "So, what can I do for you?"

"Is there some place where we can talk in private?" I asked, my eyes moving across the chosen's groupies again.

"Sure." Zelos got to his feet and turned back to blow a kiss at the girls. "I'll see you later, my darling hunnies!"

"Bye master Zelos!" they called in unison.

I noticed Yuan wrinkle his nose in disgust. Obviously, Zelos was one of those arrogant people he hated the most.

* * *

A short while later, Zelos was leading us through his enormous mansion. Why one man would need such a big house was beyond me. Probably just to show off his high stature or something. The chosen was at the top of the caste system, right next to the king, afterall. 

We entered one of the mansion's many living rooms, where Zelos beckoned us to have a seat. I couldn't help but notice the large liquor collection, right next to a pile of neglected love letters. This was going to be easy...

"Start talking." Zelos folded his hands together, peering at me expectantly. Apparently, he didn't find Yuan all that important.

"As the chosen one, I'm sure you've heard all about Sylvarant." I began, leaning back in my chair.

"That poverty world? Sure." Zelos shrugged lightly.

"Then, did you also know that Sylvarant and Tethe'alla used to be part of the same world?"

"Oh really?" Zelos asked, still not really caring.

"Four thousand years ago, the leader of Cruxis split the worlds apart to stop the ancient Kharlan war." I continued.

"According to my History teacher, it was Mithos the hero who stopped that war." Zelos remarked.

Yuan gave a loud snort at my side.

"One _might_ say that…" I sighed. Sure, it was Mithos who stopped the war. At the time, he had been considered a hero. It wasn't until afterwards that the 'incident' occurred.

"Anyway, what's all this got to do with me?" Zelos enquired, effectively keeping the discussion on track.

"What we are offering you is a chance to give up your life as chosen and do something useful." I said shortly. Judging from Zelos' expression, I knew I now had his full attention. "You will be relocated to Sylvarant, where nobody knows your name. We will unlock the full potential of your Cruxis crystal and train you to use it. Zelos Wilder, the chosen one, will cease to exist."

"And what would you ask of me in return?" Zelos asked, leaning forward in his chair.

"Your assistance. We're planning on reuniting the two worlds, but we can't do it without additional forces." Yuan said.

Zelos gave Yuan a blank expression. One that clearly said 'Why are you talking?'

"You said you'd unlock the full potential of my Cruxis crystal. What does that mean?" he asked, turning back to me.

"Heightened strength and senses. You will have powers only true seraphim of Cruxis have, and your lifespan will be extended greatly. Ofcourse, you will also be able to handle your sword much better." I explained.

"What would I be fighting, exactly?"

"All of Cruxis' forces, at the worst." Yuan responded casually.

Zelos gave him another 'You have some nerve' look.

"I'd be risking my life in the hopes that we _might_ save the world? Is that it?" The red-head concluded.

"It's better than hanging around in your overly large mansion, constantly being annoyed by fangirls, is it not? All these people bow down before you, yet none of them see your true potential." I spoke.

"How do I know you guys are telling the truth? How do I know you really do have the ability to grant me powers only an angel would have?"

I turned to glance at Yuan, who nodded curtly. Then we both rose from our chairs. Zelos stared at us, slightly confused. Ofcourse, that feeling only increased when both Yuan and I revealed our angel wings.

"Who are you people?" Zelos stuttered, backing away in his chair slightly.

"Renegades." I replied simply.


	4. Seraph Transformation

((A/N: 11 reviews? -_zomgsuperspazz_- Thanks everyone! I love you all!))

* * *

Chapter three, Yuan's P.O.V.  
Seraph Transformation.

Ofcourse, Zelos eagerly accepted. That was only to be expected. It was obvious he wasn't happy with his current life as the chosen and would do anything to escape it. We lent him one of our rheairds and, after making a quick stop at the South-East Abbey, headed straight for Flanoir.

Zelos' sister acted shortly towards him, ordering him to leave almost immediately. She even refused to call him by his name. Deep down, she cared about him though. She simply refused to show it. Zelos was too thick to notice. Such a tragic tale.

"We're approaching the dimensional barrier." Kratos called, slowing his rheaird down slightly.

"What does that mean?" Zelos asked. He appeared to be shivering in the cold. Something Kratos and I barely noticed.

"Hang on to your rheaird, or you'll get tossed off. If you fall, you could get trapped between the dimensions forever." I said with a smirk.

The expression on the chosen's face was priceless. Ofcourse, it was just a fairytale to scare newbies. You couldn't get trapped between dimensions. You'd simply land facefirst in either Sylvarant or Tethe'alla. Which wasn't a very nice prospect either, considering how high up we were at the moment.

"Let's go." I continued, speeding up and shooting through the dimensional barrier. Always a nice feeling. It resembled having your guts ripped out, twirled upside down and shoved back in roughly. Not to mention the splitting headache that followed…

Appearing with a flash above Triet desert, I skidded to a halt again, turning around to wait for Kratos and the chosen. Kratos appeared to be yawning widely, having done this many times before. Zelos, however, wasn't quite used to the creepy after-effects. He'd turned extremely pale. The sweat on his face might've been caused by the sudden change of temperature, but I wasn't quite sure.

"That's the scariest thing I've ever done!" Zelos exclaimed, shaking slightly. He squinted his eyes against the sudden sunlight.

"Just wait till you've had one of Yuan's flying lessons. Just _having_ wings doesn't mean you'll know how to use them." Kratos commented, smiling faintly.

"If you think you know so well, _you_ can teach him how to fly." I scoffed, tilting the nose of my rheaird down to make a landing next to the base.

"I think I've had enough flying for one day." Zelos said nervously.

* * *

"I have to say, I'm impressed." The chosen admitted as we entered our office. We'd just finished a little tour through the base. Without waiting for a 'make yourself at home' comment, Zelos immediately took a seat, placing his feet on my desk. I growled silently. 

"So, let's get crackin'!" He took his Cruxis crystal out of his pocket again, throwing it in the air and catching it deftly.

"You realise ofcourse, that once we activate your angel powers there is no way back?" Kratos asked, not at all bothered by the boy's happy-go-lucky attitude.

"Sure." Zelos took the simple exsphere out of the keycrest on his chest, replacing it with the crystal. "It's not gonna hurt is it?"

"Not at all." I lied, grinning widely.

"Ah, obviously it'll hurt like heck." Zelos commented, looking straight through me.

"It's just for one night though." Kratos leaned back against his own desk, observing Zelos closely.

"Well, I'm used to rough nights. I can take it." The red-head smiled in a very creepy way.

"If you say so." Kratos pushed away from the desk, moving to stand next to me. We both revealed our wings, closing our eyes in concentration. Only true members of Cruxis could unlock the crystal's powers. Lights rained down on Zelos, who braced himself. A long silence followed.

"Hey, this isn't so bad. All I feel is a bit of tingling." Zelos raised his hands in front of his eyes, smiling numbly.

"The real pain hasn't quite kicked in yet. I suggest you get to your room while you can still walk." I said casually.

Zelos lowered his hands again, looking a bit horrified. Heh, I already loved getting on his nerves. The seraph transformation was ofcourse extremely painful. Almost as bad as all the vessel transformations combined. After releasing seals, the chosen ones would have some of their senses strengthened. Meanwhile, other senses like taste and touch would be lost, as well as the abilities to eat and sleep. Seraph transformations merely dulled senses like taste and touch, while you were still able to keep most human abilities. Your soul would remain intact. It was safe to say you were much better off with the seraph transformation. Still, as your body adjusted to the sudden physical changes, you were in for a whole world of hurt. Just as Kratos and I were once forced to go through it, Zelos would now experience the full influence of it.

* * *

Just as we were making our way trough the halls to get Zelos to his room, we ran into Botta. He seemed to be in a hurry. 

"Ah sirs, so glad I found you." He gasped.

"What's wrong, Botta?" I enquired, raising an eyebrow.

"We've just received confirmation that she's returned from her latest mission." The man explained.

"She? Who's she?" Zelos asked. He was ignored.

"I'd better hurry and meet her." Kratos sighed, running a hand through his hair. "You stay here and keep an eye on the chosen."

"Why me?" I asked, slightly irritated. The prospect of watching that guy all by myself wasn't very pleasant.

"It'll give you time to bond." Kratos grinned. Oh, how I wished to wipe that smirk off his face.

"Well, good luck then. Hurry back soon." I cast another glance at Zelos, who was leaning against the wall, casting a blank stare at Botta in turn.

"I'll see you tomorrow." Apparently not able to resist himself, Kratos ruffled my hair lovingly before walking off. Botta followed.

"Dammit!" I quickly tried to smooth my hair out again, trying to ignore the roar of laughter that emerged from the chosen.

"You two are lovers, aren't you?" He jeered loudly.

"Shut up." I snapped.

"I knew it! You guys are so- Whoah…" Zelos suddenly wrapped his arms around his stomach, sinking to his knees. Looked like the full effects of the transformation were starting to kick in. I smirked superiorly, grabbing his collar and dragging him off to his room to rest.

* * *

((Little note; At first I planned to have Kratos slap Yuan's behind. But then I thought 'noooo... That's too Out Of Character', so it turned into a hair ruffle.)) 


	5. The Summoner

((A/N: 4 reviews? Hm... Well, okay. Thanks guys!))

* * *

Chapter four, Kratos' P.O.V.  
The Summoner.

A few hours later, I arrived outside the hidden village of Mizuho. The sun had already set, causing everything to be frozen in a nightly glow. Still, people from Mizuho hardly slept. Though their village was hidden from outsiders, high members of Cruxis knew about its location. And the Mizuhoans knew we knew.

I touched down in front of the village's gates lightly, allowing my rheaird to return into its Wing pack. Using my wings out in the open wasn't recommended.

As I entered the village, a blue clothed ninja immediately stormed towards me.

"You are an outsider! State your business." He snarled, one hand moving to his weapons.

"Ever heard of the name Kratos Aurion?" I asked calmly. It had an instant effect. The ninja froze again, observing me closely.

"How do I know you are really him?" he asked.

Sighing, I revealed my wings again. They were almost like a business card. The ninja's eyes widened slightly, though his true expression was hidden behind a mask.

"What is your business here?" he demanded again.

"I need to speak with the chief's granddaughter." I said, remaining unphased by the ninja's questioning.

"Follow me." He said curtly, turning and striding off.

* * *

A short while later, I found myself sitting on my knees in front of the village's current chief. A girl with raven black hair was sitting next to him, observing me with a slightly curious expression. 

"It is an honour to meet lord Aurion himself in person. I am the vice-chief, Tiga." The man spoke. "What brings you to our village of Mizuho?"

"I'm sure your ninjas have heard about the plan lord Yuan and I have been working on." I replied. Mizuho had insiders everywhere, even in Renegade ranks.

"We've caught the general gist of it, yes." Tiga admitted with a nod.

"Then you know we require the aid of a summoner." I cast a quick glance at the black haired girl.

"I'm afraid Sheena is still in training. I am not sure of how much help she will be." Tiga seemed to be in deep thought.

"We will continue her training, ofcourse. Some first-hand experience might be just what she need."

"Yes, that's what we thought last time. Though Sheena has grown since then. Perhaps she is up to the challenge now." Tiga pondered.

I frowned inwardly. Was that it? No… This was too easy.

"However, as you know, we of Mizuho tend to stay out of affairs like this. We watch, though rarely interfere." The vice-chief continued.

Damn.

"If anything, I'd say this would be the best time to interfere. If our plan succeeds-"

"_If_! That is the question, lord Aurion. What would happen _if_ you fail?" Tiga interrupted. "Surely, lord Yggdrasill will notice Mizuho lent their powers to the Renegades."

"We will use our full force to protect the summoner and the rest of this village. However, if you wish to watch from the side as Yggdrasill continues to destroy the world, I find that a very poor decision." I said forcefully.

"What makes you sure you can finish this plan successfully, without Yggdrasill interfering?" Tiga questioned.

"We're not sure at all. But we won't know until we try. The hourglass system has gone on too long. If we don't make the first step, no one will."

"Hmm…" Tiga looked away, deep in thought again. "Sheena, what do you think?"

"Chief… I don't understand." Sheena said, tilting her head. "Who is this Yggdrasill fellow?"

"She has not been informed about the status of the worlds yet?" I asked.

"No. Only village elders know the truth. Most of it, anyway. Even we of Mizuho don't know everything." Tiga shook his head softly.

"Miss Fujibayashi. What am I offering you now a chance to save not one, but two worlds. The Regeneration system will end forever, as Tethe'alla and Sylvarant will both flourish." I spoke, turning to the girl.

"Sylvarant?" she repeated.

"Sylvarant. The world that lies adjacent to Tethe'alla, vying for its mana. Tethe'alla's scientists have found out about it, have they not?" I enquired. Sheena gave a curt nod. "We need the power of a summoner to unite both worlds."

"But… I've never successfully made a pact before." Sheena looked away with a pained expression.

"Yes, I've heard about that." I said. "Still you are the only one who can help us now. And, as your vice-chief said, you've grown since then."

The Mizuho disaster. I'd heard about it, alright. A young, inexperienced summoner failed to make a pact with Volt. The spirit of lightning went berserk, wiping out almost one-third of the Mizuho population. Since then, the true Mizuho chief was trapped in a coma.

"I… I don't know." Sheena looked at her chief questioningly.

"I'm leaving this decision to you, Sheena. Whatever you decide, the people of Mizuho will stand behind it." Tiga spoke.

"Uhm… Alright then. I guess I could give it a shot." Sheena gave a nervous laugh.

"Thank you very much." I bowed my head towards the chief, before pushing myself to my feet, casting an expecting glance at Sheena.

"W-wait… We're leaving _now_?" The girl stuttered. She'd only just returned from a mission and was probably eager to get a good night's rest.

"Lives are at stake. There's not a moment to lose." I said, walking out the door.


	6. Training

((A/N: Only 3 reviews? Aww... Is everyone busy with school or something?))

* * *

Chapter five, Yuan's P.O.V.  
Training.

I exited my room the following morning, yawning widely. Then I got a nasty surprise as I saw Zelos sitting on my desk, apparently waiting for me.

"Yo!"

"… Ugh, you look your usual happy self." I grunted. It was almost like he hadn't just experienced a night of excruciating pain. Ofcourse, it was just a mask.

The chosen followed me all the way to the cafeteria, talking happily about how the transformation wasn't such a big deal at all, and that I was a wimp if I found that so painful. Such an arrogant jerk… I stopped listening after thirty seconds.

Ah, good. Cake. My favourite.

I wandered over to a nearby table, holding a plate with a slice of carrot cake. Several Renegades saluted as they saw me coming. Zelos followed, still droning on and on. He sat down across from me, talking about some sort of 'hunny' who had admired his 'awesome swordskills'. Whatever.

Just as I raised my fork, the plate was snatched away right in front of my nose. I narrowed my eyes angrily, raising my head to glare at Zelos. The boy was already holding the slice of cake in his hands, happily taking a bite.

"Zelos, why are you here?" I asked slowly, trying to make sure I wouldn't lose my temper.

"I want to know when Kratos is coming back. I want to have my first sword fighting lesson." Zelos said excitedly. He'd apparently decided that he didn't like the taste of the cake, tossing it into a nearby trashcan.

"What makes you think _I_ can't teach you?" I enquired, resisting a strong urge to strangle the boy.

"_You_?" Zelos stared at me, apparently also resisting a strong urge. One to laugh, that is. "I'd wipe the floor with you."

"Oh, you'd be surprised." I pushed myself to my feet, gazing down at him. "Let's go."

* * *

Soon, Zelos and I were standing on opposite ends of one of the Renegades' training rooms, clutching a weapon. Zelos fought with a simple double-edged sword. I made a mental note to get him a better weapon after kicking his behind. 

"Is that sabre compensating for something?" the boy taunted, jerking his head at my large double-sabre.

"Nope. Why? Is that what _your_ sword is for?" I retorted with a smile, removing my cloak and dropping it on the floor.

"Heh. You asked for it." Zelos charged towards me, his sword raised.

I easily blocked his first, second and third attack. At the fourth, I hopped aside, trying to land a blow of my own. It was dodged. Twirling around, Zelos tried once again to swipe at me. I held up my sabre in defence. Growling slightly, the boy attempted to push me back.

"Oh, puhlease. Is that all you've got?" I asked, covering my mouth with my other hand as I yawned widely.

"I'm just getting warmed up!" Zelos hissed. He jumped back, launching a Demon Fang attack.

"Guardian Shield!" I shouted, raising a defensive, magical shield to divert the attack.

As soon as the shield dropped, I charged forward, swinging my sabre. But Zelos was ready. He blocked with his own sword, holding it away mere inches from his face. Gritting his teeth in concentration, he managed to push me back a short distance. Then, without warning, I raised my sabre again, twirling it upside down. Zelos staggered for a moment, as I took my chance.

"Super Lightning Blade!"

The tip of my blade grazed the boy's side as he attempted to dodge at the last moment. Then, a bolt of lightning shot down from the ceiling, striking him where he stood.

I stepped back, smirking superiorly. Zelos stumbled, trying to stay on his feet. A trickle of blood was flowing down his side.

"Ready to give up yet?" I asked.

"Never." The boy looked up, a strangely furious expression on his face. "I refuse to lose to a filthy half-elf."

He charged forward again, jumping into the air to bring his sword down on me. As usual, I blocked with ease.

"What do you have against half-elves anyway?" I snarled. Even if half-elves were at the bottom of the social ladder in Tethe'alla, that was no reason to act like this.

"Half-elves killed my mother. With a shot that was meant for me." The boy snapped, now swiftly attempting to slash at my face. I allowed my sabre to twirl around swiftly, defending myself against the boy's blade.

"So? Humans killed my fiancée and you don't see _me_ whining about it." I said calmly, pushing Zelos back again.

"No, instead you sleep with 'm like a filthy wh- Whoah!" Zelos moved to the side to narrowly avoid a vertical slash from my sabre.

He'd gone too far. This time, the brat had crossed the line. Plan or no plan, he needed some serious asskicking.

"Thunder Explosion!" I roared, somersaulting forward to stab my blade into the ground. Immediately, a large field of electricity appeared around me.

There was a flash and an explosion, as Zelos flew backwards, hitting the wall. He sank to the ground, holding his head. Not waiting for him to recover, I charged towards him, my sabre raised above my head. The boy's eyes widened in shock as I drew my hand back, ready to finish the job.

"I don't think so." Said a calm voice.

Someone had grabbed one of the outer handles of my sabre, holding it back. I snarled, whipping around to see who had stopped me. Then my heart skipped a beat.

"Ah… Kratos…" I mumbled, staring into the human's ruby eyes.

"Geez, I leave for one night and you decide to split an innocent boy into two." Kratos pulled the double sabre from my hands.

"He's far from innocent." I spat, glaring at the floor.

"It doesn't matter. I succeeded in recruiting the summoner." Kratos turned to glance at the door, where a girl with black hair was standing. She was staring at the chosen with a blank expression.

"Zelos!" she growled loudly.

"Yo, Sheena. Fancy meeting you here." The boy replied, trying to smirk.

* * *

((Zelos is such an ass... Well, things will work out eventually.)) 


	7. The Plan

((A/N: 9 reviews? Fweee! I'm afraid this chapter is a bit of a 'blabla' chapter, but bear with it, okay? I tried to make it a bit light-hearted, but there's just so much information to process. Well, whatever. Enjoy!  
...  
Hey, they finally fixed the ruler? YAY!))

* * *

Chapter six, Kratos' P.O.V.  
The Plan.

Without talking, we led our two new 'recruits' back to the office. Yuan seemed pretty pissed at the chosen, but I decided to ignore it. He always got offended too easily.

As Yuan and I took a seat behind our desks, Sheena and Zelos sat down across from us, stubbornly looking in opposite directions.

"Am I right to assume you two know each other?" I asked, folding my hands.

"We used to… date. Until I realised what a big mistake that was." Sheena growled.

"Mistake? I still don't know what I did wrong." Zelos frowned lightly.

"You were seeing other women behind my back!" Sheena exclaimed, turning to face him.

"I can't help it that I'm loved. Anyway, you immediately flipped and started throwing stuff before I had a chance to explain." Zelos retorted.

"There was no explaining for what you did." Sheena crossed her arms and looked away.

I shook my head softly. Maybe I shouldn't have asked.

"Well, you two are going to have to set your differences aside now. Teamwork is essential." Yuan spoke coldly.

"For what? You two haven't even explained what it is we're supposed to do!" Zelos snapped.

"Calm down. We were about to do so." I said with a calm voice.

Sheena and Zelos sat up in their chairs, staring at us expectantly.

"Now, as you know, there are two worlds that exist on shifted dimensions. Sylvarant and Tethe'alla. They used to be the two main countries of the world called Aselia. After settling a war between the two, Mithos Yggdrasill split them apart." I began.

"And Mithos Yggdrasill is the leader of Cruxis, right?" Zelos asked.

"Correct. Mithos Yggdrasill is the most powerful person in the worlds. He leads Cruxis, the church of Martel _and_ the Desians behind the screens."

"Wow…" Zelos looked stumped.

"How did he manage to split two countries into different dimensions?" Sheena asked, slightly dumbstruck.

"Mithos had made a pact with Origin, the king of summon spirits. Origin granted him the Eternal Sword, which allowed him to enormous powers." I explained.

"The worlds were split because the Giant Kharlan tree, the source of all Mana, had died. The seed that it left behind had just enough power to support one half of the world. Mithos created an hourglass system. It was supposed to be a temporary solution…" Yuan trailed off.

"Temporary?" Sheena repeated.

"Once every hundred years, the comet called Derris-Kharlan would bless the world with Mana. That time was soon after the worlds were split. Mithos planned to use the Eternal Sword's power to transfer Derris-Kharlan's Mana to the Great Seed, to have it germinate. With the Kharlan tree reborn, the worlds could be united again without a problem." I sighed. It seemed like such a good plan at the time.

"What happened?" Sheena tilted her head slightly.

"While Mithos and his companions waited for the blessing of Derris-Kharlan, Mithos' sister was murdered by a human who wanted to take control of the Mana." I paused to glance at Yuan, who was wearing a completely blank expression. He was good at hiding his emotions sometimes.

"Mithos was enraged and bound her Cruxis crystal to the Great Seed to retain her soul." I continued. "However, should the seed germinate, her soul would be lost. This is how the Regeneration system was born. Mithos was intent on finding a new body for his sister. Only the chosen ones, born in the Mana lineage, would have some chance of having a matching Mana signature."

"During the Journey of Regeneration, the chosen releases seals." Yuan spoke. "Every time she does that, she is granted angel powers. These powers are basically continuous steps towards becoming a lifeless vessel. At the same time, the mana flow is reversed. The flourishing world will become the declining world, and vice versa."

"That sounds extremely drawn out and complicated." Sheena sighed.

"At that time, it was the only way." I said with a slight shrug.

"Why do you two know so much about it?" Zelos asked suspiciously.

"We are two of Cruxis' four seraphim. The other two being Mithos and his sister Martel." Yuan said simply.

"The goddess Martel?" Sheena exclaimed.

"She was just a normal half-elf. Just like Mithos. Though he considers himself to be a higher being now."

Yuan sounded slightly bitter. Not that I could blame him. It was a truly sad story.

"Well, that was a nice bedtime story. But what do you expect us to do about it?" Zelos asked sceptically.

"He's got a point. If Mithos Yggdrasill truly has enormous power…" Sheena frowned.

"We're going to take that power from him." Yuan smiled faintly.

"W-what?"

"Mithos broke his vow with Origin. This means we're free to annul that vow and make a new pact ourselves. Without the power of the Eternal sword, Mithos will be a lot more harmless. We'll get the Great Seed to germinate and unite the worlds." I explained.

"But then… Martel will…" Sheena began.

"She'll disappear. She deserved her rest a long time ago." Yuan spoke bluntly.

"What did you need _my_ help for, exactly?" Zelos asked.

"Fighting." I replied, turning my head to glance at him. "To release the seal that has been placed on Origin, I have to release all the Mana inside my body. Yuan will refill it with his own. This will leave us both extremely weakened. To make a pact with a summon spirit, however, you need to defeat it in battle. You will do most of the attacking, while Sheena, Yuan and I back you up."

"Sounds awesome!" Zelos grinned at the thought of battle. "But how do you know Mithos won't interfere the second he notices his pact with Origin is gone?"

"We don't. We'll just need to take the Eternal Sword and disappear from the scene as soon as possible."

"Oh, yeah, that sounds like a plan alright." Zelos rolled his eyes.

"It sounds really tough." Sheena added.

"Well, we still have plenty of time to train you two. There's no hurry." I smiled faintly.

"There _is_ a hurry. Sylvarant's chosen starts her journey in three months, remember?" Yuan said impatiently.

"Oh. Yes, then it _will_ be tough." I corrected myself.

* * *

((... The way Yuan and Kratos talk seems so OOC... But I can't make 'm sound more ancient. My vocabulary isn't that extensive. Anyway, the explanation about the Kharlan war is based on additional information you get in the PS2 version of the game. Yes, Martel died _after_ the worlds were split.)) 


	8. Summon Training

((A/N: 5 reviews! Thanks everyone! Yaaaay!))

* * *

Chapter seven, Yuan's P.O.V.  
Summon training.

Two weeks later, the four of us were standing outside the door leading to Celsius' altar. Sheena needed training and the best way to get that was to let her make a pact. Normally, we would've chosen Undine for an amateur. Sadly, Sylvarant's summon spirits were now deep in slumber. If we awakened Undine, Yggdrasill would know immediately. Celsius was a good second choice though. She had spunk, power, and her cave was not too far from the Flanoir base.

I cast a sideway glance at the black-haired summoner. She seemed to be shivering heavily. Though whether it was caused by the freezing cold, or by nerves, I wasn't sure. I had lent her plenty of books and first-hand documentations about summon spirits. Afterall, I was there when Mithos first started his summoner quest.

Finally, Kratos pushed the last pillar into place, causing the door to be unlocked.

"Are you ready?" he asked, also moving to stand in front of the door.

"Let's do this." Sheena said with a curt nod.

The door opened with a nasty crunching sound. It had been years since anyone had entered the altar, after all. As we walked into the room, a loud voice echoed off the walls.

"You who possess the right of the pact. I am Celsius, one who is bound to Mithos, the hero."

Sheena glanced around, hoping to see where the voice had come from.

"I seek a pact with Celsius. I ask that thou annulst thy pact with Mithos, and establish a new pact with me." She spoke, fidgeting nervously.

"_You_ seek a pact with _me_? How amusing."

A large, gorgeous looking icicle appeared before us. It started to crack, the rifts running deeper and deeper until it shattered into millions of pieces, revealing the summon spirit of ice. As always, she was accompanied by her 'little pet', Fenrir.

"Let's see if you can handle me." Celsius spoke, cracking her icy knuckles.

"Finally! A decent battle!" Zelos unsheathed his sword eagerly.

"Zelos, Yuan, take on the beast. Sheena and I will keep Celsius busy." Kratos ordered immediately.

I let out a soft groan, being forced to battle alongside that arrogant brat. Though I complied without argument. Kratos was the big strategist, after all. I turned to Fenrir, charging towards it. This one wouldn't be too hard to defeat anyway.

"Hurricane Thrust!" I heard Zelos shout, as I saw a gust of wind surround the creature. It didn't do much good.

"Zelos, you moron! You're supposed to use fire or lightning attacks!" I roared at him.

"Jeez, sorry. No need to get all snappy." Zelos replied, running a hand through his hair.

I was just about to reply with the middle finger, when I was forced to hop aside as Fenrir tried to slash me with one of its claws.

"Thunder explosion!" I hopped into the air and brought my blade down into the ground. Lighting rained onto the field. The beast seemed to have been affected slightly.

Zelos immediately jumped into the fray, slashing at the creature with his blade. Then he hopped back, shouting "Eruption!". Fenrir managed to avoid the pit of lava just in time, but I was already waiting for it on the other side, forcing it back with fiery swipes of my blade.

"Super Lightning Blade!"

Just after the creature was struck by a bolt of lighting, it managed to land a nasty slash across my leg. I fell to one knee, cursing loudly.

"First Aid!"

The wound was healed immediately and I looked up just in time to see Zelos lower his blade and return to battle. Hopping to my feet, I joined him. After landing a few more severe blows to the creature it decided to curl into a little ball to raise its defence. Zelos paused, slightly confused.

"Stand back." I ordered, raising my weapon to start a magic spell.

Zelos hopped back, wondering what I was up to. I closed my eyes, muttering a soft spell. The air started to crackle with electricity.

"Indignation!"

A magic circle was drawn around Fenrir within seconds. Being the brainless creature it was, it decided to let its curiosity get the better of it by uncurling again to get a closer look. Just then, an enormous bolt of lightning shot down the from the sky. The beast let out an enraged cry, falling to the ground as it was defeated.

"That wasn't too shabby." Zelos admitted grudgingly.

"I'll take that as a compliment." I scoffed, turning around to see that Kratos and Sheena were still battling Celsius.

"Hell Pyre!" Kratos jumped into the air, his Flamberge firing a powerful shot at the spirit.

"Freeze lancer!" Celsius countered, before turning to Sheena.

"Guardian Seal!" Sheena called frantically, trying to stay on the defensive side.

"Sheena, get offensive!" Kratos barked, trying to distract Celsius again by attacking her head on. That might've been a mistake, as she Swallow kicked him into a wall.

For a second, I thought I saw him wince in pain, but it disappeared so fast I figured it was just a trick of the light. He pushed himself to his feet again, growling softly.

"Let's help 'm out!" Zelos called, already charging towards the battle.

I shrugged and chased after him, raising my blade. With four against one, the fight would be over soon. Sheena seemed to think along the same lines.

"Power Seal!" She slammed one of her magic cards into Celsius' face, lowering the spirit's defence.

"Hurricane Thrust!" Zelos managed to stab Celsius just beneath the ribs.

The two exchanged glances and Sheena gave a curt nod.

"Power thrust!" They shouted in nearly perfect unison, delivering the final blow.

* * *

((Yay! Unison attacks!  
I sooo suck at writing battle scenes. Ugh...)) 


	9. Perfect Unison

((A/N: 7 reviews! Woohoooh! Thanks to everyone who reviewed! -_hug_-))

* * *

Chapter eight, Kratos' P.O.V.  
Perfect Unison.

I gave a small frown as I saw Zelos and Sheena perform an almost perfect Unison attack. They were really making progress.

Celsius sank to her knees for a few seconds, before flipping backwards, floating a few feet above the altar.

"Excellent. Now, speak your vow. A vow worthy of my power."

Celsius was always so arrogant… Thinking she was the best summon spirit in the worlds. Though I had to admit, she was pretty powerful, she had her weaknesses as well.

"For the sake of reuniting the two worlds, so that they must no longer must sacrifice one another, I ask that thou grant me thy power." Sheena spoke solemnly.

"Understood. Use my power well." Celsius gave a curt nod, before transforming into a small orb of light that floated over to Sheena and was absorbed in her body.

"I… I did it." The girl spoke, not quite believing it herself.

"Good job. Both of you." I said, giving both Sheena and Zelos a rare smile. "To perform a unison attack at such an early stage takes great talent."

"It wasn't too shabby." Yuan spoke, smirking at Zelos, who glared back.

"My first real pact…" Sheena said, still in a slight state of shock.

"I think that, with a few more weeks of hard training, you'll be ready to face Origin." Yuan pondered.

"So we have to get up at four again tomorrow?" Zelos sighed tiredly.

"Naturally."

"Ngh. Why can't I sleep late for once?" Zelos turned to me instead, hoping I might be more merciful.

"Because you'll grow lazy." I replied shortly. Learning discipline was part of the training too, after all.

"Let's head back to the base." Yuan commanded, already leaving the room.

* * *

I sighed as we entered our bedroom, taking off my cloak and tossing it into a corner. Normally, I would've put it on the coat rack, but I was too tired. Not to mention that my back was killing me. Being kicked into a wall wasn't very recommendable. 

"You're injured." Yuan commented immediately.

"No, I'm fine." I lied. I didn't want him to worry about me. He always tended to overreact and start a lecture.

"I know you longer than today. You're hurt." Yuan placed a hand on my back, causing me to flinch in pain.

"It's nothing. I probably just pulled a muscle." I said through gritted teeth, stepping away from Yuan a bit.

"Kratos…"

I turned to see him staring at me with a sad expression. Ugh… He was the master of manipulation alright. He knew exactly how to make me feel guilty.

"Okay, fine. I'm in pain." I admitted, narrowing my eyes.

"Want me to give you a backrub?" Yuan offered, gathering my cloak from the floor and hanging it on the coat rack with his own.

"If you insist." I said casually, taking off my shirt. That was just like me, acting like I didn't care. Though, the truth was, I loved Yuan's backrubs. I was pretty sure he knew.

"Lay down." Yuan spoke, starting to remove his arm guards.

I complied, laying down on my stomach and placing my head on my arms. Soon, I felt the half-elf sit down on my legs, running a hand across my back. I closed my eyes contently.

"Did you hear?" he asked suddenly.

"Hear what?"

"The pope announced Zelos Wilder as dead." Yuan started to massage my muscles with both hands. I moaned softly, wondering how he always knew exactly where the most stress was.

"After just two weeks?" I enquired, trying to figure out what the pope was up to.

"First they figured he was kidnapped for ransom. Now they're probably assuming he's been assassinated and dumped somewhere." Yuan chuckled softly.

"I'd love to see the look on Yggdrasill's face when he finds out." I smiled at the thought.

"He already knows. He thinks it's of little consequence, since Sylvarant's chosen will start her journey soon. Apparently, her mana signature is very promising." Yuan sighed. I could almost sense him shaking his head silently.

"Well, if we're lucky, she won't even have to leave her hometown." I said, hoping to assure him.

"Which reminds me, you need to start Zelos' flying lessons." Yuan started rubbing my shoulders, relieving them of stress.

"_I_ need to start his flying lessons?" I repeated.

"I'm not teaching that prat how to fly." Yuan scoffed.

"You're a natural! It took me _years_ to manage flying properly." I wrinkled my nose at the memory of my first times flying. I'd seen many treetops from up close.

"My lessons made things worse." Yuan reminded me. "Remember when I told you to glide on the wind?"

"Yeah. You nearly killed me with that advice." I chuckled softly. "We'll both teach him."

"Fine by me." Yuan leaned forward to place a kiss on my neck, his left hand moving down to my waist.

"Mmm…" I closed my eyes again, the weight of his body pressing against mine. "We have to get up early, you know."

"I don't care." He whispered in my ear.

* * *

((Yaaay! Implied lemon! Though it's more implied than lemon, really. XD)) 


	10. Wings

((A/N: I'm sorry it took me so long! I'm sorry! Believe it or not, but I forgot to update this story. Eheheh... I've become addicted to an animated series called Drawn Together. Try looking for it on Youtube or something. Xandir is so CUTE!))

* * *

Chapter nine, Yuan's P.O.V.  
Wings.

The next day, we started Zelos' flying lessons. They were to take place in one of the training halls, as there was plenty of room there. Letting an amateur fly in a confined area was not a smart idea.

Sheena insisted that she should be allowed to watch, since she wanted to 'watch the idiot make a fool of himself'. Completely understanding what she was walking about, I told her to make herself comfortable and not laugh too loudly.

"Why do you both look so tired?" Zelos demanded, watching Kratos and me closely.

"None of your business. Now pay attention." I snapped.

"Yeah, yeah." The boy gave a slight wave of his hand.

"As I was saying, wings are created by using your own mana. You have to be careful not to overdo it the first times. Make sure you use the lowest amount of mana possible. Though when it's too low, your wings will disappear." I explained.

"Uhuh…" Zelos yawned slightly, his attention obviously slipping away.

"Fine, if you think you know so well, then show us your wings." I hissed angrily.

"Finally." Zelos crawled to his feet, having sat on the floor the last few minutes. He stretched out lazily, causing some of his joints to snap. "Are they going to be pink, like yours?"

I winced faintly, gritting my teeth. He was making fun of _my_ wings when his clothes looked like _that_?

"Perhaps." Was all I said.

"The colour of your wings depends on many things. You won't find out what your colour is until you see for yourself." Kratos added.

"Well, let's take a look then." Zelos grinned, closing his eyes. For a few seconds, he was surrounded by bright sparkles as the mana around him started to build up. There was a soft flash and a pair of bright orange wings fluttered to life on his back.

"Interesting." I said to myself.

"Whoah! That's awesome!" Zelos called excitedly, looking over his shoulder. He laughed in a creepy way.

"The only chosen who's ever had orange wings was Spiritua, wasn't it?" Kratos asked.

"I think so." I replied, thinking deeply. I'd only met the girl once and it'd been a long time ago.

Smiling faintly, Kratos turned back to Zelos. He knew I preferred not to think about the chosen ones. Those girls are just victims too, afterall. They're born only to die once more, as the chances of Martel's revival were very slim.

"Next time, don't make it such a dramatic lightshow. I'm sure you want to look nice, but you have to be able to draw your wings quickly when in battle." I advised.

"Hmmhmm." Zelos replied, not really paying attention as he watched his wings flutter softly.

"It looks like your wings were built mostly for soaring. You won't have to flap them as often to maintain airspeed velocity." Kratos pondered aloud.

"I have no idea what that means, but I'm sure you're right." Zelos gave a faint shrug, tilting his head lightly.

"Then let's see you fly with them." Kratos crossed his arms expectantly.

* * *

About a week later, Zelos finally managed to actually stay airborne without crashing into a wall. In fact, he was already at such a level that he could dive down and pull himself into a straight path again just before hitting the ground. He seemed to be a pretty skilled flyer. 

"Hey Sheena, watch this!" He called happily, zooming a foot above the ground, while lying on his back to face the ceiling. His wings brushed the ground lightly, but he took no notice.

"Yeah, yeah." Sheena grunted, slightly annoyed.

"He's having a bit too much fun. This is supposed to be training." I sighed, leaning against the walls, my arms crossed.

"He's young and restless. Let him enjoy himself for a while." Kratos said, turning to me with a smile. "In fact, he reminds me of a certain half-elf in his younger years."

"I certainly don't remember being so annoying." I spat. Sure, I'd been a bit… enthusiastic during my first years of flying. But not like this.

"You were loveable though." Kratos couldn't help but grin.

"Shhh!" I quickly cast a glance at Zelos. Now that the boy had angelic hearing, he'd be able to hear our conversations from miles away. Not a very settling thought.

Zelos turned in mid-air to face us, smirking widely and thereby confirming my suspicions.

"Mind yer own business." I shouted loudly, causing Sheena to stare. She was standing a short distance away, not having heard Kratos' last comment.

Zelos stuck out his tongue and continued swooping across the room. I hoped that one of these days, that boy would lose his arrogant attitude and take life more seriously. Playing around like that wasn't healthy.


	11. Worries

((A/N: Five reviews? ... Ohwell. I get a feeling this chapter will be getting more reviews. Neheheh... (I certainly hope so...)  
Enjoy!))

* * *

Chapter ten, Kratos' P.O.V.  
Worries.

Tomorrow, the last phase of our plan would be set in motion. Tomorrow, we would try to make the pact with Origin. Both Zelos' and Sheena's training had been completed. Tomorrow, we would find out if the trouble was all worth it.

Something was bothering Yuan. I could sense it, in a way. A few hours ago, I'd made the announcement that we would head for Origin's seal. Since then, Yuan seemed more gloomy than usual. The way he kept hiding his worries from me was starting to irk me. It was probably his pride that was stopping him from sharing his feelings with me. Then again, it wasn't my place to complain about things like this. I usually tried to hide my pain too.

"Yuan, is something wrong?" I asked, tilting my head slightly to see him clinging to my arm with a slightly anxious expression.

As usual, he was dressed in nothing but a loose shirt and a boxershort. As usual, his long blue hair was down from its ponytail, almost glowing in the darkness. But never, not ever, had he clung to my arm before.

"No." he replied shortly, staring blankly at the wall.

"You're still worried about the plan, aren't you?" I said, knowing I was right. It certainly seemed to have struck a nerve.

"I… Yes." He admitted, not meeting my gaze.

"I told you, didn't I? When all the preparations are complete, the chances of something unexpected happening will be close to zero." I assured him.

"There's always a possibility that I mess up the mana transfer." He mumbled softly.

"You'll be fine if you do it just like we rehearsed."

"Those were just small amounts. If I-"

"Stop." I said harshly, placing a finger against his lips to interrupt his musings. "There's no point in worrying about it now. We'll release the seal tomorrow and see what happens."

"But I…" He looked away, dropping his voice to a whisper. "I don't want to lose you."

"What?" My eyes widened slightly. Did I hear that correctly?

"If I fail to protect you… If you end up like Martel…"

"Yuan. I trust you." I said sharply, causing him to look up again. "Even if you _do_ fail, which I doubt, I'll know you tried your best. Don't blame yourself for things that aren't your fault."

Yuan shivered lightly, moving closer to me and resting his face against my arm. Apparently, his worries still weren't soothed. Stubborn bastard.

I rolled onto my side to face him, pulling him into a tight embrace. "You'll be fine."

Yuan's nails dug into my back as if he were afraid I would disappear. I placed a soothing kiss on his neck. My fingers slowly slipped underneath his shirt, caressing his soft skin. I heard him moan softly.

I wondered if maybe it would be best for us to get some sleep. That question was answered when Yuan shifted in my grasp, kissing my lips feverishly. It would be another restless night, apparently.

* * *

That morning, the light of the rising sun streamed through the window, as always. Yuan lay firmly in my arms, his head resting on my chest. His eyes were closed, but I knew he was awake. Sleep hadn't come to us, even after halting our 'nightly activities'. 

"It's time." I spoke softly, staring at the ceiling. I could've sworn his breathing hitched for a second.

Breakfast was a messy affair. Sheena, still in a half-asleep state, accidentally spilled a glass of water into my lap. Zelos spent the next few minutes laughing, until he received a Tempest Seal in the face, much to Yuan's amusement. Due to lack of spare pants, I was forced to change into my official Cruxis uniform. Yuan told me many times to purchase a new pair, but I simply despised clothes shopping.

A few hours later, we were finally standing in the center of Torent forest, facing Origin's seal. A rugged stone was all that signified this clearing was special. Nobody would think to look for a summon spirit here.

"So, this is Origin's seal? It doesn't look so special to me." Zelos commented.

I rolled my eyes faintly, not bothering to respond to that.

"I hope I'm ready…" Sheena muttered to herself.

Turning my head to glace at Yuan, I saw that he was scowling to hide his anxiousness. After noticing my stare, he gave a curt, determined nod.

"Let's do this." I spoke, stepping forward.

All eyes were on me as I made the final preparations. This was it. To break Origin's seal… To save the worlds… I'd have to release all mana from my body. I'd have to face death.

My life is in your hands, Yuan.

* * *

((Dun dun duuuun!)) 


	12. Origin

((A/N: Seven reviews! Yay! Thanks everyone! Mmm... You may think that the story is nearing its end, but it's only just starting. Not that I'm going to spoil any of it... Heheheh... Keep reviewing, and I'll keep uploading!))

* * *

Chapter eleven, Yuan's P.O.V.  
Origin.

I shuffled my feet nervously, watching Kratos extend his wings. This was it. Origin's seal would be broken. Not too long from now, we'd know if we could get our hands on the Eternal sword.

The mana that was released from Kratos' body soon danced around him before departing for the skies. The man's eyes were closed in concentration. After what seemed like an eternity, the final sparkle disappeared from view, as Kratos staggered and fell backwards. But I was right there to catch him before he hit the ground. Quickly running the entire procedure through my mind, I grabbed one of his hands and started the mana transfer.

I couldn't let him die like Martel. The one I had failed to protect so long ago. I wouldn't disappoint my loved ones again.

I could feel Zelos' and Sheena's eyes pricking in my back. They too, were probably wondering if I would succeed. That question was answered when Kratos' eyes slowly opened, blinking against the sunlight.

"I told you you'd be fine." He spoke softly, managing a faint smile.

I grinned back at him, finally noticing how tired I was. Mana transfers were a real drain.

"Are you both alright?" Sheena asked, worry evident in her voice.

"We're fine." I replied shortly, looking up at her. "Don't you have a pact to make?"

"Oh, right." Sheena blushed for a second, before turning back to Origin's seal and taking a step forward.

The stone tablet started to shine a bright yellow. Now that the seal was broken, Origin was free to appear before a summoner. The king of summon spirits emerged with a flash of light. Its four arms were crossed impatiently.

"You who lack the right. I have lost faith in all things. Have you come here to disappoint me as well?" it spoke in a booming voice.

"Ah… Origin, are you still bound by a pact to Mithos?" Sheena asked, slightly intimidated by Origin's might.

"My pact with Mithos was broken the moment I was freed. Never again shall anyone make use of my power." Origin's eyes narrowed slightly.

Sheena hesitated, turning her head to glance at us. Perhaps she was hoping for some advice. Advice we couldn't give her. As the summoner, she had to solve this herself.

"Even if we make a vow?" she asked, turning back to Origin and bouncing on the balls of her feet anxiously. "We need the power of the Eternal Sword to unite the worlds and revive the Giant Kharlan tree."

"Unless we do something, the worlds will never stop vying for each other's mana." Zelos added loudly.

"That situation was born from the weakness of creatures who are unable to accept those that are different." Origin spoke with a frown.

"But that Mithos guy doesn't speak for all of us. We want to correct the mistake he made." Zelos called.

I groaned inwardly at the red-head's words. This wasn't the way to speak to a summon spirit. Especially not their king. If he kept this up, we could forget about the pact.

"Some mistakes cannot be corrected." Origin shook its head, apparently getting slightly annoyed.

Kratos seemed to decide that it was time for us to interfere after all. He pushed himself to his feet with a soft grunt. I stayed close behind him, ready to give him support, should he fall again.

"Origin… For almost an eternity, I thought that the only way to save this world is to cling to Mithos' ideals. Just as you once agreed with Mithos' ideals, I too thought his was the only way." Kratos shook his head softly. "But that's not true. If you want to change something, you must do it yourself. We want to decide our own fate, instead of relying on others."

Origin closed its eyes, apparently thinking deeply. I crossed my fingers behind my back. Right now, everything depended on Origin's decision.

"You who possess the right of summoning. Make your vow."

"So… that means…" Sheena's eyes widened slightly.

"I will try once more to believe in people. I shall do my duty in order to create a world you speak of. A world in which everyone decides their own fate." Origin spoke.

I breathed a sigh of relief, smiling faintly at the ground. Origin was prepared to make a pact after all. It was prepared to put Mithos' betrayal behind it and give mankind one last chance. We had earned the king of summon spirits' forgiveness, so we had to make it count.

"I, Sheena, have but one vow. To reclaim a world in which everyone can live freely. _One_ world, where no life is lived at the cost of another. That's all." Sheena grinned valiantly.

"Then, we shall create a pact upon that vow." Origin nodded curtly, before drawing its swords. "Now, fight!"

"Finally, a battle!" Zelos shouted excitedly, drawing his sword.

"We're counting on you." Kratos said, running a tired hand through his hair.

"No worries!"

Zelos grinned, before pulling out his wings and heading into battle. Sheena sighed and chased after him, clutching her cards. A pact wasn't made until the summon spirit was defeated in battle, which meant it was too early to celebrate.

Kratos moved back to stand next to me as we watched the battle. I smiled faintly as he allowed his head to rest on my shoulder.

"Those two will be fine, right?" I questioned.

"Perhaps." Was all Kratos said.

At that moment, Zelos came zooming past us. He managed to slow himself down using his wings just in time, but he couldn't avoid slamming into a tree. Letting out a low growl, he pushed himself to his feet and returned to battle.

"Ah…"

"Think we should go help them out?" I asked, watching Sheena duck just in time to ensure she didn't lose her head to one of Origin's blades.

"Alright." Kratos reached into his pocket, pulling out two melange gels.

"You knew this was going to happen, didn't you?" I grinned lightly, accepting one of the gels and gulping it down. I immediately felt some of my strength return to me.

"Perhaps." Kratos smiled mysteriously, before drawing his blade.

No matter how much we trained our 'recruits', it seemed making a pact with Origin was a four-man battle after all. Or, more specifically, three male angels and one female summoner.


	13. Unexpected

((A/N: Six reviews, ne? Heheheh... I wonder how many I'll get for this chapter.))

* * *

Chapter twelve, Kratos' P.O.V.  
Unexpected.

A long battle later, Origin finally fell to the ground. Though Yuan and I couldn't help much, our teamwork had been enough to defeat the king of summon spirits.

"Pact-maker Sheena... I place my power in your hands. With that power, transform the Eternal Sword into a blade to save all life!" it said, pushing itself up from the ground to float a few feet above the stone table again. "However, the Eternal Sword remains, as by Mithos' pact, unusable by those who lack the blood of elves. You must find someone to master the sword's power and forge a new bond with it."

With that, Origin transformed into a small orb of light, that was absorbed into Sheena's body.

"Hm? What was Origin talking about? Yuan can wield the Eternal Sword, can't he?" the girl asked, raising an eyebrow.

"It doesn't matter. We succeeded, so that calls for a celebration!" Zelos cheered loudly.

"I'm very proud of both of you." I said, managing to smile at the two. It felt strange to truly smile at someone. I hadn't done it in centuries, with the exception of Yuan ofcourse.

"I suggest we get out of here. It won't be long until-" The half-elf suddenly broke off, his ears twitching. He whipped around just in time to get hit in the chest by a blast of energy that knocked him off his feet.

"Yuan!" I watched him hit the ground about ten feet behind us and then looked up sharply, drawing my sword.

Yggdrasill stepped out of the bushes, wearing a blank expression. One that usually meant trouble. Then, he suddenly started to grin.

"Well well, what have we here?" the man raised a hand to fire another blast of energy.

Zelos managed to dive out of the way just in time, though he still hit the ground with a thud. Sheena made a fearful sound from the back of her throat. We'd been found.

"You think I didn't notice what was going on? How pathetic." Yggdrasill spoke, still grinning cruelly. "You even dragged two innocent children into it."

"C-children?" Zelos repeated, pushing himself to his feet again.

"It doesn't matter, Yggdrasill. The Eternal Sword is ours now." I said loudly, clutching my weapon.

"I'm afraid I see a little flaw in your plan." Yggdrasill glanced around innocently. "Whatever the Eternal Sword created for me remains, even if I've lost the pact with Origin. Because, as you can see, the tower of Salvation is still standing." His eyes strayed over to the tower that still stood out as a beacon, reaching into the heavens.

"We'll strip you of your power piece by piece!" I snapped.

"Interesting concept. But… Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong… I'd say you need a half-elf to wield the Eternal Sword."

Yggdrasill vanished from the spot, but I immediately realized where he'd gone. My heart plummeted as I whipped around to see him standing next to Yuan.

"And you just lost your only team member with elven blood." The blonde leaned forward to grab my partner by his throat with one hand, lifting him up from the ground.

Yuan's eyes snapped open desperately as he made a faint choking sound, his hands shooting up to grasp Yggdrasill's wrist. Still, the attack from a few moments ago had left him completely powerless.

"Dammit!" I raised my sword and charged forward, ready to slash Yggdrasill into little pieces. Though, as I saw them both disappear, I realized I was too late.

"_What are you going to do now, my old teacher_?" Yggdrasill's voice rang through the clearing as I froze in my tracks.

For a few moments I simply stood, staring blankly ahead. Though Yuan had given his best to save me, I had failed to protect him in turn. I was completely at loss for what to do next.

"Ah… Kratos?" Sheena stepped forward numbly. "I think we should return to the base and figure out what to do when we get there."

I looked up tiredly, sheathing my sword. There was nothing more we could do here. "Yes, let's go."

* * *

"I don't get it…" Zelos said as we entered the office a few hours later. "The Renegades have plenty of other half-elves in their ranks. Why should it matter if _Yuan_ wields the sword?" 

"It's not that simple." I sighed, sitting down behind my desk with a sick feeling in my stomach. "The power of the Eternal Sword is too much for a regular exsphere to handle. You'd need a Cruxis crystal to keep it under control. In fact, if a normal, untrained half-elf were to try, he'd die."

"Wow…" Zelos gasped.

"And the only half-elves with Cruxis crystals are Yuan and Yggdrasill, right?" Sheena questioned.

"Correct." I responded softly. Well, most angels in Welgaia were half-elves. Though they didn't qualify either, as they obeyed nobody but Yggdrasill.

"Then… We need to go save Yuan." Sheena concluded shortly.

"You mean barge directly into Yggdrasill's base to free a traitor, who is probably heavily guarded?" Zelos summed up, rolling his eyes. "Yeah, that's a _great_ plan."

"It's the only thing we can do now, isn't it? You weren't planning on leaving Yuan behind, were you?" Sheena demanded, continuously stepping closer to the red-head until she was staring directly into his eyes.

"N-no! Ofcourse not…" Zelos looked away, slightly guilty.

"Good." Sheena whipped around again, crossing her arms. "What do you think, Kratos?"

I absentmindedly turned my head to glance at Yuan's empty desk. If I'd stayed by his side, like I should have, he would've been sitting here with us. Celebrating our victory. But now… The thought of what Yggdrasill could do to him chilled my very bones.

"Let's head for Derris-Kharlan."

* * *

((Heheheheh...)) 


	14. Punishment

((A/N: Whoops, sorry I'm so late. The site was being a bit mean, not sending me the reviews and stuff like that... But it's fixed now!  
6 reviews again? Lol! I think that some people might be cheating and reading the story elsewhere... That's pretty evil, because that way I'm missing out on lots of comments. Shame on you, non-reviewing people! -_shakes head sadly_-

Well, enjoy! Meheheheheh... Ahahahahah!))

* * *

Chapter thirteen, Yuan's P.O.V.  
Punishment.

I awoke, feeling like I was hit by a rheaird. My eyes opened to stare directly into darkness. It took me about fifteen seconds to realize I'd been shackled to a wall. By then, my vision had adapted. Everything around me was a dark grey colour. The walls, the floor, the ceiling… As far as I could tell, there wasn't even a door.

Grunting in a depressed way, I tried to move my hands. Nothing happened. I tried to move my legs. Again, nothing happened. Boy, those shackles were really tight.

"I see you're awake." Said a voice behind me. The next second, Yggdrasill moved to stand by my side.

Wait, how'd that make sense if I was shackled to a wall? I turned my head but didn't see anything that could function as a door. Just bland grey walls.

"I'm sure you remember this room. It was made specifically for purposes like this one." Yggdrasill continued, smiling widely.

That's when it hit me. This was the Transdimensional chamber. It was created with the power of the Eternal sword, to retain 'special' prisoners. Inside it, Yggdrasill controlled time and space.

I grinned painfully, resting my head against the cool wall. I wasn't even sure what kind of material it was. It could've been metal, it could've been stone… It could've been air, for all I knew. It didn't matter anyway.

"It's such a nice room, isn't it? I could knock the air out of your lungs with one flick of my hand." Yggdrasill swiftly moved his hand in front of my face, immediately causing me to gasp for breath as my body tried to double over. He sure as hell wasn't bluffing.

"I could make every nerve in your body seem like it were on fire with a snap of my fingers." The man continued, snapping his fingers. My eyes fell shut and I tried to wrestle against the restraints again, screaming out in agony.

"Heck, I could dislocate all your joints by-"

"What do you hope to accomplish by this, _Mithos_?" I glared up him, placing extra emphasis on his hated first name. "Are you trying to get me to tell you the location of the Renegade bases? Because your attempts are in vain."

Yggdrasill laughed loudly, placing his hands on his hips. Then he leaned forward to stare directly into my eyes.

"Don't be foolish. I'm merely going to give you your well-deserved punishment." He spoke, smirking widely. "There's a penalty for betraying Cruxis, you know. For betraying my dear sister."

"_You_ are the one who is betraying her, _my lord_. You're neglecting her last wishes of peace. You're going against everything she believed in." I growled furiously.

Yggdrasill waved his hand again and immediately I felt like my air supply was cut off. I couldn't speak, I couldn't breathe… Though I couldn't choke either. All I could do was listen.

"I'm not talking about that, you nitwit. You betrayed my sister's heart." He spat. "Though why she ever loved a traitor like you is beyond my comprehension anyway."

I blinked slowly, my mouth clamped tightly shut. I betrayed Martel's heart?…

"So after I'm done with you, I'll destroy that filthy human too." Yggdrasill smirked widely.

Then, my throat was suddenly unblocked again. I hung my head, breathing deeply. Kratos was going to get in trouble because of me. I asked him to join the Renegades because I hoped he could help me, but instead Yggdrasill was going to punish him too.

"Don't."

"What?" Yggdrasill stepped closer, smiling mischievously.

"Don't hurt him." I spoke, glaring up at him.

"I'm afraid you're in no position to bargain with me."

Yggdrasill snapped his fingers and immediately every part of my body started to flinch in pain. I cried out again, struggling madly. Normally, this kind of torment would be bearable, but…

"You realize, ofcourse, that time has no meaning here? What seems like five minutes outside could be fifty years in here. I could torture you for centuries." Yggdrasill chuckled evilly. "I could hurt you in all sorts of ways. Mentally, physically…" his eyes snapped down for a second. "Sexually…"

"Sick bastard." I spluttered.

"Hmm… I guess that's a fitting description." Yggdrasill said thoughtfully.

A sick feeling filled my stomach. This man wasn't going to stop until he'd driven me completely insane. He was planning to shatter my soul, leaving me as numb as one of his precious lifeless beings.

* * *

((Wanna know what happens next? Well, you'll have to wait till Monday, I'm afraid. I'm going to another anime convention this weekend. Cosplaying as Anju from the legend of Zelda for the competition, and crossplaying as Yuan the next day. Wish me luck!)) 


	15. The Tower Of Salvation

((A/N: I'm back! Sorry I'm a day late. Yesterday was _such_ chaos... And school is trying to eat my soul. Very nasty.  
Aaaanyway, 6 reviews! Thanks everyone!))

* * *

Chapter fourteen, Kratos' P.O.V.  
The Tower Of Salvation.

It wasn't long before we were standing outside the tower of Salvation. Everything still seemed to be in order. What was Yggdrasill planning?

Zelos stepped forward, causing a flight of steps to appear. A grin spread across his face as he chuckled softly.

"Check me out! Do I look like a chosen or what?" he asked happily.

"You look more like an idiot to me." Sheena replied bluntly.

Pouting like a little child, Zelos started to walk up the stairs. Sheena and I followed. When we reached the door, the red-head immediately wanted to approach the Oracle stone. I swiftly held him back with one arm, keeping a close eye out for boobytraps. There were none.

"This is odd." I muttered to myself, lowering my arm again.

Zelos shrugged and placed his hand on the Oracle stone. The tower of Salvation opened its doors with a loud shuddering sound.

"Kratos… What's waiting for us inside?" Sheena enquired, noticing my anxiousness.

"I don't know." I responded truthfully.

"We won't find out by standing here." Zelos spoke calmly. "While we're having this conversation, lives are on the line."

I stared at him, slightly surprised. It seemed like the boy had changed heavily. But why? Was he feeling guilty for the way he'd always acted towards Yuan? Had he finally realized not to take life so lightly?

Sheena appeared to be slightly taken aback too. "What's gotten into you all of a sudden?"

"What? You think I can't be serious when I need to be?" Zelos tilted his head innocently.

Sheena and I exchanged quick glances, both resisting an urge to smile.

"You're so cruel." Zelos pouted again, before turning and entering the tower of Salvation.

Casting one last look at the clear sky, I walked through the door as well, followed by Sheena. I heard her gasp in surprise. It was always the same. Whenever someone saw the inside of the tower for the first time, they'd be shocked.

"Are those coffins?" Zelos asked, staring over the edge of the walkway.

"Correct." I responded, walking past him.

"Then, the chosens who fail their journey…" Sheena began, her voice shaking.

"They end up here. The same goes for chosen ones who succeed, but have an incompatible Mana signature."

"That's horrible." Sheena whispered. She quickly shook her head and ran after me.

"Now are you convinced that we have to stop this guy?" I asked, approaching the teleporter.

"Yes." Sheena moved to stand next to me before turning to Zelos expectantly. I followed her gaze.

The red-head seemed to have gone slightly pale, a blank expression on his face. I couldn't help but wonder what was going through his head right now.

"Zelos." I called, snapping him out of his thoughts. "Let's go."

Zelos nodded and walked towards us. We stepped onto the teleporter, transporting us to the highest level of the tower. From here, there was a direct elevator that led to the central Welgaia square.

"So, what's the plan?" Sheena asked, running a hand through her hair nervously.

"If Yggdrasill hasn't told his troops about my betrayal yet, it means Zelos and I can move freely through the streets of Welgaia. As fellow angels, they'll leave us alone. Sheena, all you need to do is stick close to us. They'll assume you're our prisoner." I explained simply.

"What if he _has_ told his troops?" Zelos questioned.

"Fight them off until we reach the cells."

Zelos and Sheena gulped nervously, turning their gaze to the floor. Not wanting to waste any more time, I started to ascend the steps to the altar. In doing so, I passed the Eternal Sword, that was sticking firmly into the ground. Cruel, cruel irony.

* * *

Arriving at the central Welgaian square, I got a nasty surprise. The place was completely deserted. 

"Where are all the angels?" Sheena asked, glancing around.

"I'm not sure. But I have a bad feeling about this." I started to walk forward, my eyes taking in the scene.

We crossed the square, travelled with the escalators and eventually teleported into the dungeons. The cells were empty. The normally crowded city had been abandoned.

"I don't get it. Where could they have gone?" Sheena frowned, glancing around.

I turned, thinking deeply. Could they be in Vinheim? That would be unlikely, since there weren't any rooms there that could contain Yuan. Still, where else could they…

I looked up as a glint of light caught my eye. On the other side of a railing, about eight feet down, a teleporter was shining brightly. A teleporter that was normally never functional.

"Damn!" I quickly sped down the stairs, grabbing the railing with one hand and rounding a corner to descend even more steps.

"Kratos!" Sheena and Zelos chased after me, heavily confused. Though they didn't know. They _couldn't_ know. Only once in my life had I seen the inside of the Transdimensional chamber and I immediately promised myself to never go in there again. A promise that I'd have to break now.

Speeding onto the teleporter, I vanished from the dungeons to reappear in a bland grey room. The colours hurt my eyes slightly, but I didn't care. Swiftly whipping around, I got the scare of my life. My breath got stuck somewhere in the back of my throat as my heart skipped several beats.

"Yuan…"

* * *

((If you're curious about the teleporter that leads to the transdimensional chamber... It _does_ exist. The teleporter, anyway. Just go to those Welgaia cells, all the way to the right of the screen and then down the stairs. But, as said, it's not functional. I'm not sure why the game designers put it there.)) 


	16. Guilt

((A/N: Only three reviews? Hmm... Well, that's okay.  
Man, I've been so busy lately... I'm trying to sharpen up the A-U fic I'm writing, I'm trying to finish Idiot Seraphim Cinco so I can start uploading and I'm writing this fic. Also, it's my turn for my collab with Spiritua. Hmm... Well, no worries.))

* * *

Chapter fifteen, Sheena's P.O.V.  
Guilt.

Wondering what was going on, Zelos and I chased after Kratos. What was so special about this particular teleporter that he lost his cool like this? We stepped onto it, not quite sure what to expect.

Appearing on the other side, I found that we might've made a big mistake. Kratos stood frozen, his eyes wide with fear. Following his gaze, I felt my stomach plummet faster than humanly possible. Zelos gave a soft gasp somewhere next to me.

Yuan was shackled to a wall, his head drooping forward lifelessly. Blood ran down his face, his arms, his legs, the wall… His whole body was covered in injuries, though somehow his clothes appeared to be intact, aside from the crimson stains. What worried me most, however, were his eyes. They were wide open, but unseeing. I could've sworn he was dead, were it not for the fact that he was breathing slowly.

I noticed Kratos was numbly walking forward, extending a hand to stroke Yuan's cheek. It came back covered in blood. The man stared at it with an indescribable expression.

"What… What happened?" I asked, my voice cracking slightly.

"He broke."

The three of us whipped around to face Yggdrasill. I wondered faintly where the guy had come from. Though I was quickly snapped out of my musings when I noticed Kratos draw his sword.

"What did you say?" the human snarled.

"I was playing with him and he broke." Yggdrasill responded innocently, tilting his head in a childish way.

"Release him." Kratos growled dangerously.

I backed away, scared out of my wits. The expression on Kratos' face was unlike anything I'd ever seen before. His eyes seemed to be burning with fury.

"Oh, you can have him. He's useless now. To _both_ of us." Yggdrasill raised a hand and there was a soft thud behind us as Yuan fell to the ground.

"Bastard." Kratos spat, not looking back.

"Funny how traitors keep calling me that." A grin spread across Yggdrasill's face. "After all, aren't you the one who betrayed Martel, your old student and even your wife and child to join that pitiful creature in his half-baked plan?" he jerked his head in Yuan's direction.

Kratos didn't respond, didn't even flinch at the man's words. He merely stood between his two old friends, clutching his sword tightly. He appeared to be filled with utter rage.

"Aren't you the one who is more pitiful?" Zelos spoke suddenly. "Sacrificing millions of lives because you can't accept that your sister died?"

I gulped, watching an odd flicker rush through Yggdrasill's eyes. We were going to die because Zelos couldn't keep his big mouth shut.

"Wouldn't you do the same for _your_ sister?" the Cruxis leader asked calmly.

"I'd sacrifice myself and try not to drag other people into it." Zelos replied. There was a strange note of honesty in his voice.

"Heh. What's the point of saving my sister if I can't be with her?" Yggdrasill laughed hollowly. "I grow bored of this conversation."

Whipping around, the man disappeared into thin air. I blinked in surprise, wondering how he'd managed that.

"Yuan…"

I turned again to see Kratos fall to his knees next to his fallen comrade. Hesitating for a moment, he reached out with trembling fingers to roll Yuan onto his back. The half-elf's eyes stared blankly at the ceiling. His normally silky hair had turned dull and slightly messy.

"First Aid." I heard Kratos mutter. It had little effect. Though the wounds closed up, Yuan's expression stayed the same.

I clasped a hand in front of my mouth, tears filling my eyes. What kind of person would be capable of doing such a thing and not feel any guilt?

"We should get out of here." Zelos said, catching my attention again.

Kratos nodded softly, moving a hand to Yuan's face to close those empty green eyes. He easily lifted his companion from the ground, pushing himself to his feet again.

"How _do_ we get out of here?" I asked, glancing around. There were no doors or teleporters.

"We need to break the dimension." Kratos whispered. "Zelos, draw your sword and slash that wall."

Zelos nodded, unsheathing his blade and turning to the wall Kratos had indicated. With one quick swipe, light blue cracks started to spread through the dark grey. The next second, we were standing at the bottom of the stairs in the empty dungeons again.

* * *

((Yes yes, Sheena's P.O.V. I'm afraid Yuan will be a bit... indisposed for quite a few chapters, meaning that other characters will take over for him. Eheheheh...)) 


	17. Shattered

((A/N: Ugh, I had the most evil flu... Anyway, thanks for the reviews!))

* * *

Chapter sixteen, Kratos' P.O.V.  
Shattered.

We arrived at Triet base to find that Botta had returned from his latest mission. The man had gotten quite a scare when he saw the state Yuan was in. As did most of the Renegades we passed on our way to the office. Whispers soon started spreading through the hallway, but I didn't care. Nothing mattered. Nothing besides Yuan.

Still, even though he was quickly cleaned up and fully healed, it wasn't long before a doctor was called in.

"Hmm…"

The man leaned forward to take Yuan's wrist, checking his pulse. After a few seconds, he laid it down again in deep thought, making some notes on a pad and ignoring the way Zelos, Sheena, Botta and I were watching him.

"Hmm…"

Taking a small flashlight out of his pocket, the doctor gently opened one of Yuan's eyelids. The half-elf made no response, still as unmoving and lifeless as ever. Producing an absent-minded clicking sound with his tongue, the man backed away from the bed again.

"Well?" Zelos demanded loudly.

"It's quite the mystery." The doctor looked up, bearing a slightly worried expression. "Physically, he's in an excellent state. But mentally…"

"You're saying he's gone crazy?" the red-head asked bluntly.

"That's a rather crude way to describe it." The doctor frowned at him before continuing. "It's more as if his soul shattered into thousands of pieces, that are unable to mend themselves. When the soul is in disarray, the body refuses to function too."

I nodded softly. It was similar to the way Yggdrasill created his lifeless beings, afterall. By allowing the mortal soul to be absorbed by the Cruxis crystal, their bodies work autonomously. Sadly, Yuan's soul wasn't absorbed by anything, so there was nowhere to retrieve it from.

"What can we do about it?" Sheena enquired anxiously.

"You could hope for the soul to mend itself, but… From what I've gathered, he's suffered from severe mental trauma. Healing him like that is probably not recommendable." The doctor sighed heavily.

"So we've got another problem on our hands now." Zelos concluded.

"Would you atleast _think_ about what you're saying before you blurt it out? You're so inconsiderate!" Sheena hissed angrily.

Zelos simply shrugged in response, not denying that the girl had a valid point. It seemed the ex-chosen didn't think about other people's feelings.

My gaze strayed over to the bed where Yuan was lying. He looked so peaceful when he was sleeping. Though his mind probably wasn't peaceful at all. What annoyed me the most was that there wasn't a damn thing I could do about it.

"Now, let's talk about _you_, lord Kratos." The doctor suddenly turned to me instead, snapping me out of my thoughts once again.

"What?"

"You haven't slept for quite some time, have you?" The man asked. Though, if anything, it was more of a statement.

I thought back, slightly guilty. The last time I slept was two days before releasing Origin's seal. The night before heading to Torent forest was a rather restless one, and after that all my time was taken up by worrying about Yuan.

"It doesn't matter." I grunted.

"Yes it does. You even released all the mana from your body not too long ago. The way it stands now, you need rest."

"But Yuan-"

"Lord Yuan is not going to get better if you exhaust yourself. We'll see what we can do about his condition in the morning." The doctor crossed his arms when I tried to object again. "My authority as a doctor overrides yours. I'm assigning you to bedrest."

"Fine." I said shortly.

The doctor beckoned Zelos, Sheena and Botta to follow him, before walking out the door. They all left, throwing one last look at Yuan as they did so. I sighed deeply, grabbing a chair and moving it next to the bed. There was no way I could sleep. Not now.

"I wish there was something I could do to help you." I whispered, even though I wasn't sure if he could hear me.

Thinking deeply, I started to run my fingers through his soft hair. We'd managed to make the pact with Origin, but one of the 'What if's' Yuan had been worried about reared its ugly head after all.

I had to admit, it was ironic. Yuan was the only one who could wield the Eternal Sword, but now he was unable to. Yet the Eternal Sword was probably the only thing that could help him now.

If only there was some way for a human to wield the sword. If only…

"That's it!"

I jumped to my feet, all thoughts about bedrest forgotten as I hurried into the office to find one of Yuan's old books.


	18. The Swordsman

((A/N: Only two reviews? Wow... Well, time for a fun chapter! I like to call it 'Idiot in a nutshell'.))

* * *

Chapter seventeen, Lloyd's P.O.V.  
The Swordsman.

Chop.

Yet another block split in two. I groaned, reaching out to grab a new one. Always the same, wasn't it? Oversleep, go to school, get scolded, go home, chop wood, recite the dwarven vows and go to bed again. Such a boring routine.

Chop.

I sighed, pushing the two blocks of wood aside and replacing them with another one. What time was it, anyway? Probably somewhere in the late afternoon.

Chop.

My buddy Genis had been acting strangely lately. He kept giving away his lunch to somebody, thinking I didn't notice. And Colette's klutzyness had been steadily increasing. Probably because her sixteenth birthday was coming up. I had to remember to make her a present soon.

Chop.

I put my axe aside for a moment, wiping the sweat off my forehead. It was pretty hot for this time of the year, wasn't it? But, as dwarven vow number eighty-three stated; 'Heat is no excuse for dawdling.'

Chop.

I lowered my axe yet again when I saw three people approach our house. It was pretty rare to get visitors way out here.

Conveniently forgetting about work, I dropped the axe to the side to watch them. Leading the group was a rather intimidating looking man with wild chestnut hair. He seemed like the kind of guy you'd rather not run into in a dark alleyway during the night. Following him was a girl, most likely a few years older than me, with pitch-black hair.

Squinting slightly, I noticed that the third person wasn't a girl, like I'd previously assumed. It was just an incredibly effeminate guy. His pink clothes really made me wonder… Though, upon close inspection, all three of them were wearing weird outfits. They certainly weren't from around Iselia. They were wearing exspheres too.

The group stopped in front of the house for a moment, observing it closely. Finally, they turned to face me.

"Does the dwarf named Dirk live here?" the oldest man demanded immediately.

I gave a short nod.

"Good." The man reached out to place a hand on the door.

"Hey, hold on! Why do you need my dad?" I asked loudly.

"Your _dad_?" the girly guy asked, a wide grin appearing on his face as he glanced at me.

"Well, he's not my _real_ dad…" I could feel my face blushing slightly in shame. "But I still want to know what kind of business you have with him."

The creepy-looking man sent me a rather cold glare, as the girly guy scratched the back of his head in a thoughtful way, thereby ruffling his flaming red hair slightly. The girl, however, seemed to be much nicer.

"This won't take long, kid. We just have a favour to ask of him." She said, smiling faintly.

"I'm not a kid!" I shouted, slightly offended. "I'm seventeen."

"Good for you, kid." The girly guy said, not sounding interested in the slightest.

Just then, Noishe came bounding towards us with a loud whine. This surprised me, since Noishe normally avoided strangers. Now, however, he was acting as though he'd found a long lost friend.

"Is this your… dog?" the girly guy asked blankly.

"That's no dog." the auburn-haired man replied shortly, recoiling when Noishe tried to lick his hand.

"What are you talking about? Of course Noishe is a dog." I said with a frown.

"If that is a dog, then it is the most mutated dog I have ever laid eyes on." The girly guy spoke with distaste.

"Then, I guess he's the same as you." I spat angrily.

"You-"

The pink-clothed guy looked just about ready to punch me, but he was held back. The creepy man extended an arm, giving his companion a disapproving glare.

"We have more important things to do than having a discussion with a kid."

They entered the house, leaving me fuming. In fact, if I were any more furious at that moment, you could hear me sizzle.

"I'm not a kid." I hissed to nobody in particular.

Noishe whined sympathetically, before turning and heading back to his stable. With a groan, I turned back to the wood that still had to be chopped. For once, I'd like to go on an adventure too.


	19. Nostalgia

((A/N: Whooah, 7 reviews! Thanks everyone!))

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Chapter eighteen, Kratos' P.O.V.  
Nostalgia.

It wasn't long before we had explained our situation to the dwarf. It seemed like he knew more than he was showing, though he accepted our request without hesitation. Still, during the conversation my mind continued to wander. Why was Noishe here? I was sure he'd died a long time ago, along with…

"Kratos?"

"Hm?" I looked up to see Sheena, Zelos and Dirk staring at me. Apparently, I'd been asked a question just now.

"I asked you if you knew where the materials can be found." Sheena said, crossing her arms.

"According to the book, we need Adamantite. That can be made in Sybak. The only Sacred Wood is currently in possession of the Cathedral of Martel and the Renegades have Aionis in stock." I replied simply.

"Alright. You can return here when you have all the materials, so I can craft the ring for you." Dirk said, smiling faintly.

"Thanks very much!" Sheena grinned in response before we headed out the door.

I sighed to myself as we stepped into the fresh air again. Another complication less to worry about. Still, I felt horribly uneasy. Glancing around, I saw that that boy had disappeared and Noishe was nowhere to be found.

"Well, that went better than expected." Zelos commented happily.

"We'll have to split up to gather those materials, right?" Sheena pondered aloud. "Though, sending this airhead to the Cathedral of Martel might be a big mistake. If he gets spotted, we're in a lot of trouble."

"I wasn't planning on returning to Meltokio anyway." Zelos grunted, his mood suddenly shooting downhill.

"Whoah, what's with you all of a sudden?" Sheena's eyes widened slightly.

"I'm just restless, I guess. I wanna quit using those rheairds and _fly_ back to the base." The red-head shuffled his feet anxiously.

"You know we can't do that." I said shortly.

"But… Just _look_ at me!" Zelos summoned the orange wings to his back with a bright sparkle. "I'm too pretty to dust away on some boring old rheaird!"

"Put those away, before someone-"

"Wow! You guys are angels?"

I stopped in mid-sentence to slap a hand to my forehead. Great, just what we needed. Witnesses.

"That's so awesome!" called an excited voice.

The boy from before jumped out from behind the house, where he'd apparently been eavesdropping all this time. Zelos had a nice expression of frozen shock on his face and Sheena looked just about ready to punch him.

"How do those work? Can you fly with 'm? What happens when you poke them?" The boy ran towards us, eyeing the orange wings with great awe.

"Don't you dare." Zelos said immediately, making his wings disappear again.

"Are all of you angels?" the boy continued loudly. "You know, my friend Colette is going to start her journey of Regeneration soon. You're here to see her, right?"

"We have no business with the chosen. And keep your voice down." I hissed.

Still, talking to the boy like this made me feel nostalgic. He reminded me of someone. He reminded me of…

"Why do you need a ring? Is it some kind of magical angel ring?" the teen demanded curiously.

"Why won't you keep your nose out of other people's business?" Zelos snapped.

"How come you got to be an angel when you're such a jerk?" The boy retorted.

"You little-" Zelos drew his sword, pointing it at the boy before him.

The kid merely smirked, unsheathing two swords of his own. Within seconds, they were locked in an epic battle that might just go on forever. I decided to let it pass, knowing that Zelos would never injure a kid for real.

"They're both so immature…" Sheena muttered to herself, walking forward to put a stop to the fight.

Just then, Zelos managed to land a swipe across the boy's left hand. A bandage that had been wrapped tightly around it fell to the ground, revealing a dark purple exsphere. There was no mistaking it for any other. That exsphere once belonged to…

I felt myself grow faint, the ground suddenly rushing towards me. My fatigue finally managed to strike at the most inconvenient of times. I slammed face-first into the dirt as my vision rapidly darkened.

'Anna…'


	20. Lloyd

((A/N: 4 reviews! Thanks everyone! Time for another alternate P.O.V! This time, Zelos gets the honor. Sadly, it's hardest for me to get Zelos' persona right. So I think this chapter could've been better, but... Well... Zelos' mind is just too damn intricate! You can't really tell what he's thinking. Still, I hope you'll enjoy.))

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Chapter nineteen, Zelos' P.O.V.  
Lloyd. 

After collapsing, Kratos had been taken to that boy's room to rest. That boy… Lloyd, he said his name was. What a stupid name. Who in their right mind who call their kid Lloyd?

Deciding we might as well do something useful, Sheena and I split up to find the materials for the Eternal ring, leaving Kratos in Lloyd's care. Sheena was to head for Meltokio to steal the Sacred Wood, while I went to Sybak to get some Adamantite. We could get the Aionis later on.

Still, when I returned to that ramshackle little house about half a day later, I found that Kratos still hadn't awoken. The sun was already setting and Lloyd was sulking because he couldn't sleep in his own bed. Sheena hadn't returned yet either.

"He's a heavy sleeper, isn't he?" the boy asked as I sat down next to him, watching the auburn-haired man.

"He's been through a lot." I shrugged simply.

"Hmmm…" Lloyd seemed to be in deep thought. "This is probably going to sound stupid, but… He looks familiar."

"Familiar?" I repeated.

"Yeah, you know. When you think that you've met a person before?" Lloyd raised an eyebrow.

"I know what familiar means." I hissed loudly.

"Then don't ask." Lloyd grinned and leaned back in his chair.

"It _does_ sound stupid." I said after a small silence. It was the best comeback I could think of, but it seemed good enough.

"Shut up." The boy spat.

Another silence followed, as I watched Lloyd from the corner of my eye. He was yawning so widely, tears were springing to his eyes. In a way, it was kind of… cute.

"You still didn't answer my question." Lloyd said suddenly.

"Which one?" I enquired, thinking back.

"If you're angels, why are you here? Are you on some sort of mission from heaven?" Lloyd peered at me with a curious expression.

"Nah, we don't take orders from heaven." I smiled faintly, leaning back in my chair again.

"Why?"

"Because heaven is corrupted and ruled by a dictator." I replied honestly.

"The goddess Martel?" Lloyd asked, causing me to snort.

"The goddess Martel is asleep, remember? Don't they teach you basic History?" I chuckled softly.

"I tend to fall asleep during class." Lloyd looked away, blushing slightly.

"That explains your low IQ." I said, starting to laugh even louder.

"What's an IQ?" Lloyd tilted his head slightly.

"Eh… Nevermind." I quickly wiped some tears of laughter from my eyes.

Suddenly, the communicator behind us started bleeping. Sheena, Kratos and I all carried small Renegade communicators in case of an emergency. Since Kratos was lying right here, that meant the signal could only come from…

"Sheena?" I got up from my chair and wandered over to the communicator, flicking it on.

"Zelos, are you there?" came a voice, half-hidden in static background noise.

"Yup. What's taking you so long, Sheena?"

"I got busted. The Pope sent his Papal knights after me. I'm hiding in a forest just outside Meltokio now, but it'll be a while before it's safe for me to leave." Sheena replied slowly. "Meanwhile, it turns out that I can barely lift this Sacred Wood. I won't be able to carry it another inch. You're going to have to come and help me out with that angelic strength of yours."

"Women…" I sighed deeply.

"I heard that!" Sheena shouted, causing the communicator to make a nasty, high-pitched sound.

"Okay, okay, settle down hunny. I'll be there as soon as possible." I flicked the communicator off again and turned to Lloyd. "Tell Kratos to wait here for us. We'll take a detour to stop by the Renegade base and return tomorrow with the Sacred Wood and the Aionis."

"Uhm… Okay." Lloyd frowned, probably unsure if he could remember that message.

"Just… tell him to stay put. The great Zelos will take care of everything." I sighed again, though in a more tired way this time, before running off.


	21. Ignorance

((A/N: One review? Wow! Well, I guess I'll blame the Fanfiction site chaos this time. I suddenly got attacked by review mails this morning, so I'm guessing the E-mail alerts have been fixed now. I still didn't get any more Serenity reviews though. Ohwell. Enjoy this next chappie!))

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Chapter twenty, Kratos' P.O.V.  
Ignorance.

I opened my eyes, groaning deeply. My limbs felt like they were made of lead. How long was I out? I couldn't even remember falling asleep in the first place.

Tilting my head, I cast a glance at the room I was in. My surroundings didn't seem familiar at all. I tiredly pushed myself out of bed, walking out the door, onto what seemed like a balcony. I was in a house in the middle of a forest.

Ofcourse! The dwarf's house!

Judging from the sun's position, it was somewhere early in the morning. Apparently, I'd passed out and slept through the night. But where were Zelos and Sheena?

After returning inside to strap my sword around my waist again and retrieve my cloak, I walked down the stairs. The lower level of the house was also completely abandoned, though I could faintly smell the leftover scent of breakfast.

I wandered outside, glancing around. Everything was silent. Wondering where everyone had gone, my eyes fell onto a bland gravestone. I approached it, observing the soft grass that lay before it. It seemed like whoever was buried at this spot had been here ten years at the least. Maybe even twenty.

My thoughts drifted off to that boy again. He'd said he was seventeen years old and he carried the Angelus exsphere. Plus, Noishe was here. Fifteen years ago… Yuan and I had searched the ravine, yet encountered nothing but corpses of Desians and monsters. There was no way that that boy could be-

"Hey."

I looked up sharply, my hand automatically moving to my sword as I turned to face whoever had approached me. Still, I quickly dropped the cautious manner when I saw that it was the boy from yesterday. He seemed a bit startled, but shrugged it off.

"Uhm… That Zelos guy told me to tell you that he was going to help that girl get the Sacred wood. And… uh… They were going to take a detour to fetch that other stuff." The boy scratched the back of his head thoughtfully.

"Aionis?" I questioned.

"Yeah, that."

"I see." I turned to face the gravestone again, thinking deeply. Ofcourse, it would've been hard for Sheena to carry the Sacred wood. How foolish of me to forget.

"Are you feeling better now? You just kinda conked out yesterday." The boy said, apparently attempting to make conversation.

"I'm fine." I said shortly. Though I was still a bit tired. "Was it your bed I slept in?"

"Ah… Yeah." The boy laughed nervously.

"I apologize for the inconvenience." I managed a flicker of a smile.

"N-no, that's okay."

The brunette seemed a bit uncomfortable with my formal way of speaking. Deciding to change the subject, I turned to the gravestone again.

"Who is buried here?"

"My mom." The boy said, suddenly looking grim as he moved to stand next to me. "She died in an accident when I was little. Dad found Noishe and me at a cliff near the human ranch. He raised me as his own son."

My eyes widened slightly, but I doubt the boy noticed. His words echoed through my mind. 'A cliff near the human ranch'…

"What happened to your real father?" I asked, my voice steady as always.

"I don't know. Dead, I guess." The boy shrugged lightly.

"You do not care if he's still alive or not?"

"Why should I? He probably abandoned my mom and me anyway. Otherwise, he would've protected us, or come looking for us or something."

"Sometimes it's not that simple." I muttered under my breath.

Was the boy right? Should I have searched a bit longer? Was it wrong of me to assume I had lost my family all those years ago? The fact that Noishe was still alive was solid proof that I had overlooked something.

"What is your name?" I looked up, finally asking the question I'd been avoiding all this time.

"Give me your name, and I shall give you mine." The boy spoke loudly, placing his hands on his hips.

I gave a small chuckle at his strange mixture of arrogance and ignorance. "Kratos Aurion."

"I'm Lloyd. Lloyd Irving."

In an instant, my life was turned upside-down. There was no way this was a coincidence. This boy was indeed my son, whom I had thought to be dead. He'd been living here this entire time and I had no clue.

Before I could delve into the matter further, I heard a familiar voice calling me. Sheena came walking towards the house, followed by Zelos, who was dragging along a large chunk of wood. It was time to craft the Eternal Ring.

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((Heheheh... It's like some bad soap opera, ain't it?)) 


	22. Surprises

((A/N: 5 reviews! Yaaay!))

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Chapter twenty-one, Sheena's P.O.V.  
Surprises.

Later that day, we left the dwarf's house. A doubtful feeling in my stomach, I glanced at the small ring that had been crafted. Would this thing really allow a human to wield the Eternal Sword? Zelos seemed to be thinking along the same lines.

"This is never going to work…" the idiot spoke loudly.

"It is. This ring has been crafted with the appropriate materials, after all." Kratos spoke.

"I think that we should summon Origin and ask him, just to be sure." I suggested, biting my bottom lip anxiously.

"If that will assure you, go ahead." Kratos said simply.

Something was wrong with him. I could sense it. His behaviour seemed a bit… off. Though I wasn't quite sure what could've happened.

"Summon? What are you going to summon?" asked a voice.

We whipped around to face Lloyd. How did the boy manage to pop up behind us like that all the time?

"A spirit." I said with a sly smile, hoping to scare him away.

"Ohhh! Can I see?" Lloyd asked eagerly.

... Not quite the effect I was hoping for.

"No. Go home, kid." Zelos said shortly, making a shooing motion with his hand.

"Don't be such a jerk! I just wanna see what a summon spirit looks like!" the boy said loudly, glaring at Zelos.

"This isn't a fieldtrip."

"Aw, come on! I won't get in your way! I promise!" Lloyd continued stubbornly.

Letting out a low groan, Zelos turned to Kratos. Though, instead of telling the boy to leave like I'd expected, Kratos gave a curt nod.

"He can see." The man spoke shortly.

Zelos' lower jaw dropped slightly, and I was sure my face was reflecting my surprise as well. Still, Kratos paid no notice to it. He simply walked past us, followed by a grinning Lloyd.

* * *

"Source of heaven, earth and everything in between. Leader of all. I summon thee. Come, Origin!" 

I relaxed from my summoning stance when there was a bright flash of light and the king of summon spirits appeared. We were standing in a clearing, not too far from the dwarf's house. It glanced at our group with an all-knowing expression.

"You wish to know if you can wield the Eternal sword now." It stated simply.

"Yes." I replied with a nod.

"It is true that the Eternal ring allows a human to wield the sword." Origin admitted. "However, I will be the one to decide who this human shall be."

"Alright." I said, slightly surprised. Why did it matter who would wield the sword?

I cast a glance at my companions. Lloyd was still observing Origin with an excited look on his face. Next to him, Zelos crossed his arms impatiently. Kratos was simply staring blankly ahead.

Out of everyone here, only two were able to actually wield the Eternal sword. Afterall, one needed a Cruxis crystal to handle its tremendous power.

"Him." Origin spoke, raising a hand to point at Lloyd.

"W-what?" I stared at spirit, another wave of surprise rushing over me. Lloyd wielding the sword? That couldn't be possible.

Zelos and Kratos seemed to be thinking along the same lines, both looking a bit shocked. Lloyd's expression showed that he simply didn't understand what was going on.

"This boy is a mirror image of Mithos. He too longs for adventure and righteousness. Just as Mithos, he is a hopeless idealist." Origin stated. "If it is true that everyone decides their own fate, I wish to see if history will repeat itself."

"But Lloyd is no warrior. He lacks all training needed to wield a sword." Kratos commented.

I heard Lloyd produce a strange indignant sputtering sound next to me. The truth was harsh, apparently.

"Then train him. I will not grant the sword to anyone else." With these words, Origin disappeared.

"What's the deal?" Zelos demanded immediately, rounding on Kratos. "You said that only a person with a Cruxis crystal can wield the Eternal sword!"

"Correct." The man replied, raising a hand to his chin as he thought deeply. "Lloyd, let me see your exsphere." He demanded, looking up sharply.

"My exsphere? Why?" Lloyd stepped back, slightly nervous.

"Do it."

Not saying another word, Lloyd removed the bandage from his left hand again and held it out. Kratos grabbed his palm, pulling the boy closer as his ruby eyes narrowed.

"Hey, watch it!" Lloyd said warningly.

"I can't believe the bastard succeeded…" Kratos muttered under his breath.

"What?"

"This exsphere is a dormant Cruxis crystal." Disgust obvious in his voice, Kratos let go of Lloyd's hand and looked away.

"So… We have no choice but to leave the fate of the worlds in the hands of a boy?" I asked, suddenly feeling gloomy.

"No choice whatsoever."

Sighing deeply, we all started to walk away, back to the dwarf's house.

"Hey, wait… Won't somebody tell me what's going on?" Lloyd called indignantly.

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((Heheheh... Poor Lloyd is being forced to help them out now. XD)) 


	23. Home

((A/N: Only three reviews? Well, that's alright. Enjoy the next chappie!))

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Chapter twenty-two, Kratos' P.O.V.  
Home. 

Nothing could have prepared us for the shock we got when we returned to Triet base. Sure, we'd gotten a bad feeling when we saw a billow of smoke, but not until we soared over the mountain that the base was located behind did we truly gasp in shock.

The entire building was in ruins, some bits still smouldering in the hot desert sand. There was only one person who could've done something like this. Only one person who would be so cruel as to attack an unsuspecting base, holding a few hundred soldiers.

"Yggdrasill." I spat under my breath, turning my rheaird around to get a better view of the damage.

"Gesundheit." Lloyd said. The boy was sharing a rheaird with Zelos, his arms wrapped securely around the red-head's chest. After I had a private conversation with his dwarven father, he was allowed to go with us for some special training.

"Kratos, let's land and look for survivors." Sheena suggested, looking anxious.

"There won't be any." I said shortly.

True, there wouldn't be any. If Yggdrasill's surprise attack had succeeded, nobody would be alive to live the tale. However, judging by the lack of bodies in the debris, it would seem that they managed to evacuate the base before the 'light of judgment' had struck.

"A-are you sure?" Sheena asked.

"Positive. We need to get to the other base, _now_."

"How do you expect to do that? The base has been destroyed, which means the dimension shift device thingie has been destroyed too." Zelos spoke sceptically.

"Not quite." I smiled faintly, entering a few codes on my rheaird's control panel. "There's another 'dimension shift device thingie', as you like to call it, buried a few dozen feet underground in case of an emergency. I'll send the clearance to your rheairds."

"What do you mean by shifting dimensions?" Lloyd questioned.

"You'll find out soon enough." Zelos had replied with a grin.

* * *

An hour later, we were sitting in the Flanoir base's office, discussing our options. Botta had greeted us in a relieved manner the second we arrived, explaining that one of our Cruxis insiders had seen the attack coming just in time. A few of our recruits had been lost in the chaos, but most of them had made it to Flanoir just fine. 

All personal effects there were still in Triet had been destroyed, but that didn't matter. The fact that Yuan had been moved here too was enough comfort for me. Though defeat stung bitterly. In those fifteen years, I'd come to regard Triet base as my home.

We'd had a tour through the entire base, checking up on all our recruits. They seemed extremely crestfallen, some mourning the loss of their friends. We'd told them all to cherish hope and that Yggdrasill would be brought to justice.

"This is horrible." Sheena muttered under her breath.

"We're safe here, until Yggdrasill finds out about this base too." I stated blandly.

"I need to find out if Mizuho is alright." The girl said sharply, hopping to her feet.

"Ask Botta to use the Renegade information network." I told her.

Sheena gave a swift nod and ran out the door. Zelos sighed, leaning back in his chair.

"I don't get it. Who is this Yggdrasill fellow?" Lloyd asked, glancing at us all with an expectant expression.

"The guy we're fighting. And incidentally the strongest guy in both worlds." Zelos responded, running a hand through his hair. He looked extremely exhausted.

"Huh?"

"We will explain later. I'm too tired to go through the details now." I said, getting to my feet. Days just kept getting more tiring.

Without another word, I headed for the door in the back of the room.

"What's in there?" Lloyd asked curiously.

I stopped in my tracks, raising my eyebrows, yet I didn't turn to face him. "My bedroom."

"Can I see?"

"Why do you need to see my bedroom?"

"I saw all the other rooms in this base! I wanna finish the tour." Lloyd said eagerly. Zelos stared at him, wondering if the boy had lost his mental health.

"No." I spoke, stepping into the room and allowing the door to slide shut behind me. I faintly heard Lloyd sputter something in protest, but I ignored it.

Sighing, my hand travelled to the light switch. This room was hardly ever used and therefore far from being as accommodating as the one in Triet. Instead of having one large bed, it had two smaller ones. Clothes in the wardrobe were only official uniforms and books on the shelves were old things we wanted to store elsewhere because we never read them.

I grabbed one of the chairs, moving it to the nearest bed, where Yuan was lying. Just as I reached out to stroke his cheek, his eyes snapped open. They were still as cold and devoid of emotion as before. I sighed softly.

"I'm home."


	24. Confusion

((A/N: Lloyd's Point of View again! Yay! I loved this chapter, because it was just so freaky. In a normal kinda way... Blabla ramble ramble...  
Thanks for the reviews!))

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Chapter twenty-three, Lloyd's P.O.V.  
Confusion.

'I still don't get it.'

That was the one line that kept appearing in my mind. Though, that's what I always thought after one of professor Sage's boring lessons too. Only this… This was like… three times as dull. Mythical heroes who go crazy and kill thousands of people to revive their sisters? It all seemed pretty farfetched to me.

Still, that was what I had been told. Now I had to start extensive training to get my exsphere to 'evolve', so that I could wield some sort of 'magical sword'. What would Colette and Genis say if they could see me now?

They'd explained everything to me the day after I arrived. I thought that maybe I should let it sink in for a few hours, but the one line kept returning.

'I still don't get it.'

I was sitting in the main office, bored out of my mind. Creepy guy Kratos had told me to wait here while he went to prepare my training, whatever that meant. Zelos was forced to help him out and Sheena had gone back to her hometown for a day or two to check up on things. Or so I was told, anyway.

My eyes strayed over to that door again. What was behind it? Kratos' bedroom? If it was just a bedroom, why couldn't I see it? Was he hiding something? I wouldn't be surprised if he was. Then he goes around, telling me I was not allowed to see it. Tch, how rude.

Curiosity getting the better of me, I got to my feet and wandered over to it. It seemed like a normal door. Surely, nobody would notice if I just cast a quick peek inside. If it really was just a bedroom, like he claimed it was, there wouldn't be any harm done, right?

Throwing one last glance back at the door that led to the hallway, I let my hand move over to the control panel that opened the door. I'd overheard some soldiers saying that 'the security codes hadn't been customized yet', which probably meant that the door would open if I pressed one of these buttons…

In fact, all I had to do was press one button. The door immediately opened with a hiss. Smirking superiorly, I wandered inside the room. Not until after the door slid shut behind me, did I notice how dark it was. There weren't any windows and the lights seemed to be toned down for some reason, making it very hard to see.

I reached out next to me to track down the light switch. What I found was more of a knob. Not thinking things through, as usual, I turned it, causing the lights to glow brighter.

Revolving on the spot, I glanced at the room I was in. Dull, dull, dull. Just musty old books, a wardrobe, a table with a few chairs and two beds. Though one thing immediately caught my interest. Lying in the nearest bed, some parts of his body covered with bandages, was a person. At first I thought it was a woman, but if so she'd have to be even more flat-chested than Colette. I doubted that that was possible.

Blinking curiously, I stepped closer to the bed. The guy appeared to be asleep, but there was something strange about it. He seemed almost… dead.

Just as I was standing next to the bed, one of the floorboards made a nasty cracking sound beneath my feet, breaking the silence. Immediately, the guy's eyes snapped open to stare at the ceiling. Though they were the scariest eyes I'd ever seen. They almost seemed to glow a strange green light in the semi-darkness.

A long silence followed. Hesitating a bit, I reached out and waved a hand before the man's face. Nothing happened. He didn't even blink, let alone ask what I was doing here. He just… stared. Slightly freaked out, I stepped back to bump into something solid.

"Ack!" A shiver running down my spine, I quickly whipped around to face the person standing behind me.

It was Kratos. Looking even more creepy than usual. In fact, he looked furious. His eyes were narrowed darkly and his arms were crossed over his chest. How'd he manage to get inside the room without me noticing?

"Ah…"

"I told you not to come here." He spoke dismissively.

His words seemed to stab right into my heart, making me feel bad. He was acting almost like an angry parent.

"I know, but I-"

"Out."

It was nothing more than a growl, but he'd made his point quite clear. Without looking back, I hurried out the door and into the office.

"Follow." Kratos said shortly, before walking past me, into the hallway.

I paused for a moment, wondering what was going on. He wasn't even going to explain or anything? He expected me to find it normal that there was some sort of creepy guy in his room?

"You went into the bedroom after all, huh? I admire your guts." Zelos said, the second I entered the hallway. He was leaning against the wall, observing me with a wide smirk.

"What's it to you?" I huffed.

"Oh, come on. Don't be that way." He said, looking slightly hurt. Though that expression was replaced by a grin as he approached me and wrapped his arms around my chest "Let's be buds, okay?"

"Whatever." I replied, trying to keep myself from blushing. Why was I blushing?

"Now I'll teach you the first rule of living with the Renegades. Don't cross the almighty lord Kratos." Zelos spoke with a mild chuckle after releasing me from his embrace.

"Alright." I gave a curt nod, not doubting that rule one bit. "But… Who was that guy in the bed?"

For a second, I thought I saw Zelos' eyes darken. His smile was certainly wiped off his face faster than I'd thought humanly possible.

"The true leader of the Renegades." He replied, turning to glance at the end of the hallway, where Kratos had just rounded a corner.

"What happened to him?" I asked, slightly confused.

"Yggdrasill got his hands on him." Zelos still stared blankly into the distance, before facing me again with a smile. "Come on bud! It's time for your first training session!"

"Okay…" I said uncertainly, allowing him to grab my arm and drag me away from the office.

'I still don't get it.'

* * *

((Awww... So sad... Raise your hands if you saw it coming!)) 


	25. Legacy

((A/N: Whoops! Sorry it took so long. I've been soooo busy these days. UGH.  
Thanks to the five reviewers!))

* * *

Chapter twenty-four, Kratos' P.O.V.  
Legacy.

"They're huge!"

Zelos, as well as Sheena, was staring at Lloyd's wings with wide eyes. It had taken almost two months of extensive training and guidance, but the boy's exsphere had fully evolved at last. I was afraid we might be too late, since the chosen of Sylvarant was going to turn sixteen years old the very next day. Still, considering the circumstances, Yggdrasill might let the oracle slip for once.

Lloyd's wings were truly extremely large. At least three times the size of normal seraph wings, coloured a light sky blue. So this was the might of an Angelus Cruxis crystal…

"Congratulations, Lloyd. You are currently the owner of the most powerful Cruxis crystal in both worlds." I spoke, crossing my arms.

"This feels weird…" the boy replied, glancing over his shoulder with a dumbstruck expression.

"Can he even fly with those things?" Zelos asked sceptically.

"There is no time to teach Lloyd how to properly use them." I shook my head softly. "We need to get to the tower of Salvation as soon as possible."

"I agree." Sheena said, snapping out of her state of shock.

So far, there had been no signs that Mizuho was in danger, or that Yggdrasill had even noticed the village was involved. Still, Sheena seemed to have become more anxious since she visited her home.

"Why do we have to go to the tower of Salvation?" Lloyd questioned curiously, causing me to sigh softly at his ignorance.

"Because that's where the Eternal sword is being kept. You don't expect it to just appear in your hand, do you?" Zelos chuckled, playfully pouncing the boy's arm.

"How was I supposed to know?" Lloyd winced, backing away from the former chosen.

"By paying attention to our explanations." Zelos shrugged helplessly.

Sometimes, I couldn't help but wonder why Lloyd seemed so slow. Did it have anything to do with how he was raised, or was I just as thick when _I_ was a child? It was so long ago, I couldn't remember.

* * *

Once more, we were standing outside that dreaded tower, wondering what was to come. Only this time, our group had increased by one person. Though I doubted he would be much help during a fight. Even though Lloyd now carried a Cruxis crystal, his sword skills still lacked something. I'd probably end up defending him more than attacking the assailant. We had no choice but to bring him, however, as he was the only one who could move the Eternal Sword. 

"Well… Here we go again." Zelos sighed, opening the tower's doors again by simply placing his hand on the oracle stone.

Almost sensing a cloud of anxiousness swirling around our group, we entered the long hall. I ignored the usual dumbstruck gasp, originating from Lloyd this time. Instead of pausing, we kept moving, destined to meet either salvation or damnation. We stepped forward, all the way to the end of the passage and into the teleporter's light. For a moment, I thought I saw Lloyd edging a bit closer to Zelos. Then I figured it was just imagining things. Nobody in their right mind would stick to _Zelos_ for protection.

"You dared to come back…" said a low voice, even as the teleporter's glow was still subsiding. Yggdrasill was already waiting, sitting on the altar before us, his feet rocking back and forth in a childish way. "I figured as much."

"We still need to avenge our fallen comrades from Triet." Sheena spoke, trying to appear courageous. However, I knew that just below that scowl, she was shaking on her own two feet.

"You didn't like the way I remodelled the place? I'd say it looks much better now." A smirk appeared on Yggdrasill's face.

"Stop playing around, bastard. We've come to take that sword." Zelos said loudly, stepping forward.

Blank green eyes travelled across the group for a moment, before they came to rest on Lloyd. Or, more specifically, his hand.

"Ah… An Eternal Ring…" Yggdrasill flapped his wings once, immediately lifting himself up from the ledge he was sitting on and floating a few feet above the ground. "I should have expected as much from my former teacher."

My eyes narrowed immediately. For a very long time now, I was ashamed to think of that monster as my student. It made me feel that maybe, if I'd taught him better, he wouldn't have turned out like this.

"Then again…" Yggdrasill paused, putting a hand to his chin. "Yuan was always the smart one of our group, wasn't he? What's his condition now? Still broken down like a worthless puppet, I assume…"

My sword was unsheathed before I'd even noticed I had moved my hand. Experiencing a feeling of cold anger that was rushing through my body, I was already casting a spell to obliterate the man before me. Though I wasn't even sure if it was a spell. Half of it might have been ancient curse words. It was probably a good thing that I was stopped by a shout that originated from somewhere next to me, or the place might have exploded, if not imploded.

"Kratos!" Sheena gave me a dismissive look, shaking her head.

We'd agreed beforehand that we shouldn't let Yggdrasill's taunting get to us and keep a cool head. Therefore, I had no choice but to break off whatever incantation I was creating with a growl, lowering my blade slightly.

"My, I haven't heard so much foul language since you stepped on Yuan's toe." Yggdrasill smiled, highly amused by the scene. "Very unfitting for a seraph, don't you think?"

"Once again, I'm telling you to stop playing around, you bastard!" Zelos called, even more loudly than before.

"Very well." Sighing deeply, Yggdrasill disappeared in a burst of light, reappearing again right in front of us. As usual, the expression on his face was a blank fury. "Let the divine judgement commence."

* * *

((Battle time!)) 


	26. Divine Judgement

((A/N: Five reviews, eh? Well, that's ok. Merry Christmas, everyone!  
I can play Zelda Twilight Princess without restraint now! Yippee! So expect even less updates! XD))

* * *

Chapter twenty-five, Zelos' P.O.V.  
Divine Judgement.

Yggdrasill…

The guy creeped me out to no end. Seriously. No living creature was further from being an angel than him. From what I could tell, he was cruel and horribly psychopathic. According to moral standards, he deserved to die.

Was it possible for a man without a heart to die?

Perhaps it would've been better to just give up right now. Afterall, the chances that we would lose were still quite big. Perhaps I could've teamed up with Yggdrasill to take the Renegades down. But what would I have gotten out of it? My life? I didn't want that. I should never have been born in the first place.

All I wanted right now was for Seles to be happy. And since everyone in Tethe'alla assumed I was dead, she'd have a chance of becoming the next chosen. She'd get the life I once had. It would suit her much better than me anyway.

Still, if Yggdrasill lived on, there was no way she'd be happy. Tethe'alla would eventually be destroyed. Stepped on by Cruxis. My friends as well. Sheena and Kratos… Lloyd…

There was no choice but to fight. My last act as the chosen one.

"Let's go!" Sheena charged forward as I drew my sword, Kratos following close behind her.

"I…" Lloyd hesitated for a moment, frozen as he held his swords tightly.

"Stay out of sight, bud. We'll handle this." I grinned at him before sprinting forward, joining my companions in the carnage.

Yggdrasill easily dodged the attacks thrown at him, constantly moving across the battlefield to try and catch us by surprise. His strategy certainly seemed to work, as Sheena only narrowly avoided a ray of light that was shot at her from behind.

"Fierce Demon Fang!" Kratos hopped forward, bringing his sword down with both hands to launch his attack.

Yggdrasill was a bit too slow this time, the blast hitting him square in the shoulder. He staggered for a moment, before disappearing from the spot again. This time, he was right behind me.

"Wind Blade!" I shouted, turning around to face him.

The sharp slashes of air that my attack called into life barraged an empty space, as Yggdrasill had disappeared again. This time, he was standing right before Sheena. Why couldn't the guy just stay still?

"Zelos!" Kratos called from across the room, signalling plan B.

I gave him a curt nod, already making my wings appear. This time, they no longer appeared in a long, dramatic lightshow. Just as Yuan had pointed out, during a real battle you had to be able to draw your wings in the fraction of a second. Those lessons seemed so long ago now…

Just as Kratos' light blue wings fluttered to life, a loud shriek rang across the room. Sheena fell to her knees, her head drooping forward as she clutched at her side.

"No!"

I rushed forward, ready to strike Yggdrasill down before he could do any more damage. Sadly, he disappeared again, causing me to almost crash into my wounded companion instead. Good thing I managed to avert my course just in time, flying past her before whirling around.

"Demon Spear!"

A large shockwave came surging past. Kratos and Yggdrasill were already locked in battle again. If this kept up… If this kept up, more people would get hurt.

I cast one last glance at Lloyd, who was still standing helplessly by the side, before gripping my sword tightly and rushing forward.

"Hurricane Thr-"

"I think not." Yggdrasill swirled around in mid-air, knocking both myself and Kratos back a few feet.

As gracefully as I tried to land, I couldn't stop the back of my head from crashing into the ground. It took a few blinks to get rid of the stars that were dancing in front of my eyes, and Yggdrasill used that time to chase after me, charging an attack.

"It's always a shame to destroy a chosen one. It jeopardises the mana lineage, you see." He spoke, an orb of light appearing in his hand as he suddenly stood before me.

A chosen one… That's all I was, after all. Even joining the Renegades and running to another world couldn't change that. The blood running through my veins was that of the chosen's lineage. I was destined live a pointless existence from the moment I was born. Maybe I was better off dead.

I pushed myself into a sitting position, yet didn't make any moves to defend myself from Yggdrasill's attack. I simply didn't see a reason to do so.

"Die."

Just as Yggdrasill released his blast, there was a flurry of red and black. My eyes widened in shock as I realised what was going on. Lloyd was standing in front of me, his swords raised to deflect the attack. He'd protected me.

"No! I won't let a guy like you kill Zelos!" the boy shouted, running forward.

Yggdrasill, in a slight state of shock because of Lloyd's sudden action, wasn't able to dodge that blade that was soon lodged firmly into his side. Screaming in anger and annoyance, the man released a shockwave that sent Lloyd flying back. Surprisingly, the boy landed in a crouching position about fifteen feet away.

"You'll pay for that, you insolent little twerp!" Yggdrasill hissed, clutching his injury with one hand. Blood was flowing through his fingers.

My lips widening into a grin, I grabbed my sword that was lying a short distance away and pushed myself to my feet. If Lloyd could fight, then so could I.


	27. Saviour

((A/N: 4 reviews eh? Well, that's good enough. Enjoy this chappie, as I catch up on some sleep. Seriously, I'm busier during the holidays than during a schoolweek.))

* * *

Chapter twenty-six, Kratos' P.O.V.  
Saviour.

I pushed myself to my feet with a groan, glancing around. Sheena was still sitting on her knees, clutching her wound, and Zelos… Zelos was battling Yggdrasill, together with Lloyd. I had to admit, they were doing fairly well, but I was sure Yggdrasill still had plenty of tricks up his sleeve.

"First Aid." I called, easing Sheena's pain. She cast me a grateful look in return, forcing herself to her feet again. Even though the injury was healed for the most part, she was still staggering to stay upright.

Just as I was about to return to battle, I saw it. On the ground. Puddles of blood. I quickly scanned my surroundings, trying to see if either Lloyd or Zelos got hurt. Apart from a few scratches, they were fine. The one who was wounded so badly was Yggdrasill. A deep, gaping wound defiled his side, slowing his reaction slightly. This was the perfect chance.

I raised my weapon, observing the fight as I edged closer. This would take perfect timing. I could take Yggdrasill out with one attack if I managed to hit him in a vital spot. I'd get my revenge for everything he did. To the worlds, the people and Yuan. It was a shot I couldn't afford to miss.

… Now!

"Supersonic Thrust!"

My blade instantly pierced flesh and it didn't take long for blood to pool over my hand. Still, my eyes widened in surprise and I instantly stepped back, removing my sword from the body it had stabbed. Time seemed to be frozen, as everyone remained still for a few moments, trying to take in the scene.

"Pronyma." I managed to whisper, watching a trickle of blood run down the woman's lips.

She'd jumped in to protect Yggdrasill. Just in the nick of time, she'd sacrificed herself to save her leader. But why? Even now, while she was on the brink of death, she stood before him, her golden eyes defiant.

"Pronyma, get out of the way!" I shouted angrily.

This wasn't supposed to happen. I didn't want to include any of the Grand Cardinals in our internal struggle. I didn't want any more victims.

"I don't know what lord Yuan and you are thinking, but I won't allow it. To us, lord Yggdrasill is our saviour. He will lead all half-elves and humans into an era of prosperity." Pronyma spoke, still defending the man behind her with her life.

"You fool! You don't realize what you've just done." I reached out to push her aside, but instead she grabbed my wrist with one bloody hand, digging her nails into my flesh. I barely flinched.

"Lord Yggdrasill, please flee while you can. As long as you are still alive, we will reach our goal." Pronyma didn't even look over her shoulder, trusting her words would reach Yggdrasill.

"Excellent work, lady Pronyma. When Martel's judgment reaches this world and its fallen souls, you will surely be rewarded." Yggdrasill smiled lightly.

"No!"

Zelos and Lloyd rushed past, trying to get to the man in time, but it was too late. Yggdrasill disappeared, having left the tower for sure this time. We'd failed.

"I'm glad to have been of service…" Pronyma muttered, her grip on my wrist weakening. She soon fell to the ground, her eyes closing peacefully.

"That was…" Zelos began softly, staring blankly at her body.

"Pronyma. The leader of the five Grand Cardinals and Yggdrasill's most trusted henchman. Or, rather, henchwoman." I sighed deeply. I'd never really liked Pronyma, but this was a fate I wouldn't have wished for her.

"Yggdrasill is gone…" Lloyd spoke slowly, sheathing his swords.

"No need to state the obvious, bud." Zelos commented, raising an eyebrow.

"I wasn't- I mean… What do we do now?" The boy glanced up at me expectantly.

"As long as Yggdrasill lives, we cannot reunite the worlds. Still, it would be best to secure the Eternal Sword while we're here." I responded simply.

To annul anything Yggdrasill had wished, the man would have to die first. Until then, we could only use the sword for other wishes. Another one of Yggdrasill's little fail-saves.

"Alright then." Lloyd approached the sword awkwardly, eyeing it closely. Then he cast a quick glance at the Eternal ring on his finger. "Let's see if my dad did his job properly."

He extended one gloved hand to the Eternal Sword's hilt, hesitating for a moment before grasping it firmly. Nothing happened. Breathing out in relief, Lloyd pulled the sword from the ground with both hands.

"Hey, this thing isn't heavy at all!" he called happily, holding it up.

"Wow, that is one hell of a sword…" Zelos muttered.

"I guess it wasn't all for nothing then." Sheena smiled grimly, moving to stand next to me with one hand clamped tightly over her side.

"Man, this is amazing." Lloyd continued to swing the sword around a bit, only narrowly avoiding hitting Zelos in the face.

"Watch it, bud!" the red-head exclaimed, stepping back and holding up his hands in defence.

"Sorry." Lloyd chuckled, lowering the Eternal Sword again. "So, what now?"

"I know we can't unite the worlds or anything, but I still say we give this baby a little test run." A wide grin suddenly appeared on Zelos' face as he clasped his hands together.

* * *

((Uhoh... Zelos, what are you planning?)) 


	28. Awakening

((A/N: Again just three reviews... Hmm... Apparently, this is one of my less popular stories. Ohwell. I have fun writing it, which is most important, right? Still reviews _are_ appreciated!))

* * *

Chapter twenty-seven, Yuan's P.O.V.  
Awakening.

Darkness. I saw nothing but darkness. My body felt like it was made of lead, heavy and unmoving. I couldn't make a sound, simply because the thought of doing so didn't cross my mind. Where was I? What had I been doing?

"Well, it was good for one of _your_ plans…"

Voices. They sounded close, but at the same time so distant. Like something was covering my ears, drowning out most sounds. The words didn't make any sense. Or perhaps I was just too tired to understand.

"Hey, wait, I think I saw his eyes twitch!"

Hope. There was a glint of hope in that voice. Then again, perhaps it was more like desperation. The voice sounded familiar. To who did it belong?

"No, that was just a trick of the light."

Disappointment. My ears picked up several deep sighs from next to me. Why were they disappointed? Over who? Did they know I was here?

"I concur. Let us leave."

Kratos. My heart filled with relief. Kratos was there. I'd recognise his voice anywhere. Kratos would know what happened. He'd help me out.

"Alright then…"

Footsteps. They were leaving. They were going to abandon me in the darkness. I couldn't let them. I had to stop them. I had to get to Kratos! Almost as if it were a reflex, I blindly reached out to the nearest life form.

"Aaaargh! He's got my arm!"

Immediate chaos erupted, as the one I'd grabbed tried to struggle against my grip and I heard a few gasps. Still, I couldn't release him. It was important that I held on to with all my might. I couldn't let them escape, because I was scared I might once again sink into a deep slumber.

"Ow! Lloyd! Don't drop that thing on my toe!"

"I can't help it! He's squeezing my wrist! Get him off!"

A familiar presence sat down next to me, whispering ancient soothing words. I couldn't quite remember what they meant, or what language they were, but I felt better just hearing them. A familiar pair of hands grabbed mine, gently breaking my grip on the one I was holding. Fingers entwined with fingers and I heard him say my name in a soft voice.

My eyes slowly fluttered open, trying to recognize shapes and colours. It took a few moments for the big blur to clear away, allowing me to make out faces. Each one of them was observing me intently, though with a slightly cautious expression. Almost as though I could jump at them at any time. Slowly, it dawned on me who they were.

Sheena Fujibayashi, summoner of Mizuho. Zelos Wilder, idiot chosen of Tethe'alla. Botta, my trusty commander, standing quietly in a corner. Kratos was sitting next to me on the bed, holding my hand. But who was the kid? For that matter, why was I in a bed in the first place? Why was everyone staring at me like that? Did something happen?

I sat up, holding my head with one hand so I wouldn't have to meet their stares anymore.

"Are you alright? Are you experiencing any pain?" Kratos was eyeing me with a worried gaze, making me feel even worse. Something _had_ happened.

"I'm fine." I spoke, before wondering why my voice was so hoarse.

"Told you it would work." Zelos cast a big smirk at Sheena, handing the brown-haired kid a large sword he'd picked up from the ground. But that wasn't just any sword…

Kratos noticed my astounded gaze, squeezing my hand in a reassuring way. "What is the last thing you remember?"

I thought back, trying to sort out my memories. My mind seemed like one big unorganised mess. Then, after remembering a few minor details, it was like a boulder rolling down a mountain, freeing more and more recollections. I tried to pinpoint the most recent event.

"… We were heading for Torent forest. You released your mana and then… Then I replenished it with my own, like we agreed. Origin was reluctant to make a pact but we managed to persuade him. … We defeated him in battle and the pact was made, but then I heard something behind us and…" I broke off, a hand absentmindedly straying to my chest.

The only other thing I could remember was a flash of light and a sharp pain that spread across my body. Not too long after that, there had been a cold hand clutching my throat, but I couldn't remember what it meant. Plus, I had a nasty feeling more happened after that. However, the memories were simply… gone.

"How long was I out?" I demanded, glancing up at Kratos.

"About two months." He replied, a blank expression on his face.

My eyes widened immediately. How could I have been unconscious for so long? What happened?

"I think we should leave and let Kratos explain everything in peace." Sheena said, breaking a small silence. She cast the rest of the group a quick glare.

"Why? We can- Ow!" Zelos quickly gritted his teeth in pain when the girl stepped on his toe. Not daring to say another word, he beckoned Lloyd to follow him and headed out the door.

"Good to have you back, Yuan." Sheena said, smiling softly before leaving the room as well, followed by Botta.

The door slid shut, yet a small silence followed and I didn't dare to meet Kratos' eye. We hadn't had such an awkward moment in years. Last time was when I found a rather 'interesting' magazine hidden in his wardrobe. He thought I'd be disappointed, but later I found the idea rather amusing.

Suddenly, I felt a pair of arms wrap themselves around my chest, holding me securely, yet gently, as though I might break. Sighing, I returned the embrace, pulling Kratos closer. Though his eyes were already hidden behind his auburn locks for the most part, he buried his face against my chest, afraid that I would see him cry.

* * *

((Awwwwwwwwww... Don't tell me you all thought Kratos can't cry. He totally _can_. Well, in this universe for sure.)) 


	29. Fate

((A/N: Nine reviews! Wow! I haven't had that many for a Serenity chapter in a long time! Thanks everyone!))

* * *

Chapter twenty-eight, Kratos' P.O.V.  
Fate.

I don't know how long it took for me to pull myself together. All I know is that Yuan held me as long as it took, running a hand through my hair. It was stupid, really, for me to break down like that when it was him who had suffered so much. I couldn't help it though. I was just too tired and relieved.

"Are you fit to explain now?" Yuan asked, just as I was about to doze off in his arms.

"Hm…" My eyes slowly opened, though I did not sit up again. "What do want to know?" I asked, not sure where I was supposed to start.

"What exactly happened in Torent forest? After I was shot down, I mean."

I stiffened. Only natural he'd pick the toughest question to begin with…

"It was Yggdrasill. He took you, because you were the only one who could wield the Eternal Sword at the time." I began, a bitter taste in my mouth. "By the time we arrived in Welgaia to save you, it was too late."

"Too late?" he enquired, slightly confused.

"He'd broken your soul, using the Transdimensional chamber." I was barely aware of my fingers digging deeper into his shirt.

"… I see."

"We took you back to the base, but you did not heal. It was almost like you'd died inside. Meanwhile, Yggdrasill destroyed Triet base-"

"He did _what_?" Yuan exclaimed angrily, his sharp voice drowning out my own. He cast a quick look around, apparently confirming that he was Flanoir right now.

"There weren't many casualties, but it's still a great loss." I sighed deeply.

"Indeed." Yuan shifted his hold on me slightly, before changing the subject. "So… How did you get the Eternal Sword?"

"We asked a dwarf from Iselia to create an Eternal Ring. Origin then confirmed that with it, a human could wield the Eternal Sword. After a few months of training, we went to the Tower of Salvation to retrieve the sword and encountered Yggdrasill there." I paused for a moment, allowing the information to sink in. "We nearly defeated him, but Pronyma decided to jump in at the last moment."

"Pronyma?" Yuan repeated, and even though I didn't see his face I _knew_ he was raising an eyebrow.

"She sacrificed her own life to protect him. Yggdrasill escaped and we currently have no idea where he is." I said through gritted teeth. In a way, it felt like Yggdrasill won the battle.

"Well, that doesn't matter. He can't run forever, right? Besides, we have his source of power, which should give us a major advantage." Yuan said hopefully. A small silence followed. "So… Who's the kid?"

I immediately stiffened in his arms, staring blankly ahead. When I thought the first question was the hardest, I was wrong. There was no avoiding answering him now. Even if I held back information, the name alone would betray who Lloyd really was. All I could do was hope that he would go easy on me.

"My son."

* * *

The next morning, I was sitting behind my desk, absentmindedly twirling a pencil. Yuan had barely said anything about Lloyd, deciding almost immediately that he was tired and had to get some sleep. I hadn't seen him since. Respecting the fact that he'd probably want to let the news sink in by himself, I'd voluntarily fallen asleep in my chair in the office instead of my own bed. 

My muscles ached like hell. Then again, I had nobody to blame but myself. Or perhaps I should blame my fate. The fate that after fifteen years, my son suddenly returned from the dead.

A sharp beep rang through the office, signifying that someone was standing in the hallway, hoping to be granted entry. A doorbell inside the building, if you will.

Yawning tiredly, my hand strayed to the button that opened the door. Botta entered, a slightly anxious expression on his face. He immediately moved to stand in front of my desk, saluting in a far too formal way. Either he was extremely serious about his job, or I was extremely intimidating.

"At ease." I said dully.

"Sir, I'm afraid I have some distressing news." He began, shuffling his feet uneasily. "We just received word that the chosen of Sylvarant started her journey of regeneration."

"What?" I sat up sharply, snapping out of my dazed state. "What about the oracle?"

"The oracle continued as planned, apparently. The chosen received her crystal and is headed for the ruins in Triet to release the first seal."

I leaned forward, resting my head on my hand as I thought deeply. With Yggdrasill gone, Cruxis should be in disarray. Did someone forget to inform the angel who would perform the oracle? Or did Yggdrasill secretly decide to start the journey, even under circumstances such as this? Who was responsible for setting the journey's events in motion? Why even bother, for that matter? It made no sense.

"Yggdrasill… What are you up to…?" I muttered, staring ahead blankly.

"Uhm… Your orders, sir?" Botta pressed.

"We will wait and see for now. We need to avoid killing the chosen if possible." I frowned lightly, sitting back in my chair again as I crossed my arms.

"Very well."

"You're excused." I gave a short wave of my hand, signalling that Botta was free to go.

The half-elf gave another sharp salute, his eyes straying to the bedroom door for a moment before he turned and left the room. As I watched him go I couldn't help but wonder what was going on in his head. He'd known Yuan for quite a long time now and was probably worried for his health as well. Trust ran deeper between fellow half-elves and this organisation was made up almost entirely of just that. After fifteen years, I still hadn't been accepted as a leader, but I probably had my fate to blame for that as well.


	30. Opposites

((A/N: 6 reviews! Thank you very much, guys! Uhm... Don't have that much to say... I'm pretty far behind with writing the chapters. I should do that more often...))

* * *

Chapter twenty-nine, Yuan's P.O.V.  
Opposites.

I was wandering the halls of Flanoir base, stubbornly ignoring the stares and nervous bows from my subordinates. Kratos had told me to take it easy for a few more days, but I didn't feel like listening to him. I'd been hiding out in my room for three days now. I was getting restless.

Kratos' son was here… Alive…

I knew I couldn't blame him for something like this. It wasn't his fault that the past suddenly decided to catch up with him again. Still, the thought that his son, the result of him mingling with that slave girl, was walking around in my own base, left a bitter taste in my mouth. The fact that that kid saved me with the Eternal Sword did not improve the situation one bit.

I entered the cafeteria, still paying no attention to the gazes of others. I needed to get away from them and sit quietly for a moment. Perhaps with a cup of coffee. It wasn't lunchtime, so this place should be empty for the most part.

Well, speak of the devil…

Sitting at a table, all alone, was Lloyd. To make things worse, he'd seen me enter. Cursing under my breath, I turned to leave again, but froze when I heard a young voice calling my name.

"Hey! Uh… Yuan! Over here!"

Those Renegades that were actually in the cafeteria at the time shot the boy dismissive looks before staring at me instead, wondering how I would respond.

Gritting my teeth, I quickly regained my composure and whipped around again, pretending to notice him for the first time. Then I strode over to his table, not quite sitting down yet.

"Yes?" I tried to ask as pleasantly as possible.

"Well, come on! Sit down! Can I get you anything?" Lloyd grinned up at me, causing me to frown.

"Coffee." I grunted shortly, taking a seat across from him. If I was forced to talk to him, I might as well get some caffeine to make me feel a bit better.

"Coming right up." Lloyd hopped to his feet and practically ran over to the coffee machine.

I sighed, shaking my head. Either he was trying to get on my good side, or he thought I was disabled. Maybe a mix of both. You'd think Kratos' son would act a bit more like… Kratos. Instead, his behaviour was similar to that woman. I had the 'fortune' of meeting her once. She left quite an impression.

The kid returned a few minutes later, placing a steaming mug of _something_ in front of me.

"What is that?" I raised an eyebrow.

"What do you mean? It's coffee." Lloyd sat down again, a confused expression on his face.

"You're going to have to assume that next time I say coffee, I mean _black_. No cream, no sugar. Just caffeine." I replied dully.

"Oh… Do you want me to get you a new one?" he offered, already making to get up.

"No." I spoke sharply. "It's fine."

Without another word, I raised the cup to my mouth. Ugh… sugar and cream… The only way to ruin coffee.

I blinked, lowering the cup when I noticed that Lloyd was staring at the cookie that was lying on the saucer. The standard cookie that was always provided with a cup of coffee. Sighing tiredly, I pushed it towards him, causing his face to light up.

"Thanks! I love those cookies, but they never give me any because you have to order coffee to get one. Normally, Zelos would drink the coffee but he's not here right now." The boy's face fell slightly as he stared at the cookie in his hands.

I rolled my eyes, bringing the cup to my lips again. He didn't think I was disabled at all. It was just some elaborate scheme to get a cookie. I should've seen that one coming.

"So, what's with you and Kratos? Are you two in love?" Lloyd asked suddenly.

I was caught off guard so much, I choked on my coffee. Coughing violently, I put the mug down again, reaching for the nearest napkin. Lloyd was staring at me innocently.

"Who told you that?" I demanded in-between coughs.

"Zelos." He replied, taking a bite from his cookie. "He said that you two are a couple, but I figured that he was just playing a prank on me."

"What makes you think that?" I folded my hands together, leaning forward to observe him closely.

"Well, cause it's usually a man and a woman who fall in love, right? Is it possible for two guys to fall in love?" Lloyd questioned. There was a strange gleam of curiosity in his eyes.

"Why wouldn't it be?" I asked in return. "You fall in love with the person's soul. It doesn't matter if he was born male or female."

"I suppose…" Lloyd looked away, thinking deeply. "But then how does it work with babies?"

My eyes widened slightly. No way in hell was I going to explain _that_!

"They haven't explained to you how that works?" I responded shortly.

"Oh, they have. But if it's two guys who really love each other, does the stork still come by?"

I felt a sudden urge to slam my face into the table. Hard. Luckily, I managed to suppress it.

"No. The stork doesn't visit male couples. The stork is what one might call… homophobic." I smiled faintly. It was true, in a symbolical sort of way.

"That's kinda unfair, isn't it?" Lloyd huffed slightly.

"Really? I wouldn't have kids if my life depended on it."

I stared coldly at the table and was saved Lloyd's response when the cafeteria door hissed open and Botta entered, followed by Kratos.

"Sir, we have urgent new development regarding the chosen." Botta spoke, giving a short salute.

Thank the heavens. An excuse to halt conversation with that annoying boy before his stupidity could affect me.

* * *

((Heheheh... I loved writing this chapter. Lloyd and Yuan equals wonderful conversations.)) 


	31. Heated Discussions

((A/N: Seven reviews! Woohoooh! Thanks everyone! I'm still hard at work trying to finish this fic. I'm guessing it'll have around 40 to 42 chapters. But it depends how I'll do the ending...  
Enjoy!))

* * *

Chapter thirty, Kratos' P.O.V.  
Heated Discussions.

Without further delay, we headed for the main office. Upon arrival, everyone but Botta quickly took a seat.

"So, what's this all about?" Yuan asked, not wasting any time in getting to the point.

"As you know, the chosen started her journey approximately four days ago." Botta began, turning to face him. "Already, the priests that were supposed to accompany her have been killed, either by monsters or at the hands of Desians."

"That's terrible!" Lloyd exclaimed, though I could see from the corner of my eye that Yuan couldn't care less.

"Does this mean that the chosen is left unprotected?" he enquired, crossing his arms.

"No. When she left the village of Iselia, some of her friends decided to tag along. From what our spies have gathered, they're half-elves who possess quite remarkable magic abilities. At the moment, they are providing the chosen's protection and motivation to finish the journey." Botta replied, starting to pace.

"I'm afraid I don't see the problem then." I spoke up.

"When the chosen's group arrived in Palmacosta and heard of the human ranch nearby, they decided to help the slaves and the citizens in the city who were being oppressed." Botta paused in his tracks for a moment, stroking his goatee. "It resulted in lord Magnius' downfall."

"Magnius is dead?" I concluded, my eyes widening slightly in shock.

"Another Grand Cardinal bites the dust..." Yuan muttered to himself.

"Though the people in Palmacosta are celebrating, the other Cardinals are starting to grow restless. At the moment, the chosen is headed for Asgard. If she's drawn to the ranch in that area, there will be a huge conflict. Especially because that ranch is the main exsphere plant." Botta had started to pace again, his arms folded behind his back.

"And Luin or Asgard could get caught in the middle of it all. If not both." Yuan added.

"Exactly." Our commander turned to face us again, a grave expression on his face. "So, what do we do sir?"

Yuan exchanged a quick glance with me and I nodded, signalling that the decision was his to make. He had more experience in these matters, after all.

"I suppose we'll have to send an assassin after her." He sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"_What_?" Lloyd quickly jumped up at these words, a furious expression on his face. "You can't do that! Colette's my friend!"

Yuan was barely phased by the boy's attitude, his eyes narrowing slightly. "This isn't about friendship. She was lucky that we allowed her to live for so long, what with Yggdrasill hiding out there somewhere. If he gets his hands on her, we've got a big problem on our hands."

"If you kill her, you've got a big problem too! With me!" Lloyd shouted back, clenching his fists in anger.

Yuan calmly got to his feet, towering over boy with an icy glare. "Somehow, I doubt your little brain can comprehend the situation. So let me explain it in a way that even _you_'ll understand." He leaned forward to ensure that he was face to face with Lloyd, talking at a slow and over-articulated pace. "Yggdrasill will jump out of nowhere, kidnap your little friend, download Martel's soul into her body and thereby destroy the Great seed, ensuring that everyone in the world will die."

"Then I'll protect her!" Lloyd snapped.

"Oh, is that so?" Yuan straightened up again, smirking. "You're going to appear out of nowhere to be her knight in shining armour?"

"Well, I…" Lloyd looked away, a slight blush of indignation on his face. "I mean, if she's travelling with Raine and Genis then I'm sure she's in good hands, but… I could just go see her and make sure she's okay. Or maybe I could even guide her all the way to the tower of Salvation."

"It's not such a bad idea, actually." I cut in, finally deciding to halt their little discussion.

"It's not?" Lloyd seemed genuinely surprised.

"This way, we can keep an eye on the chosen and protect her from Yggdrasill, and at the same time Lloyd will get some training." I explained.

"Ah… Yeah, that's why I suggested it." A bright smile dawned on Lloyd's face.

"Fine. But the second things go wrong, we're taking the chosen's life." Yuan crossed his arms, turning away.

"I suppose we had better be on standby when she enters the tower of Salvation. That being the final seal, Yggdrasill will most likely be lurking there." I added.

"Then… I can go?" Lloyd bounced up and down happily.

"Yes." I gave a curt nod, watching him grin proudly. "However, you are not to mention one word about the Renegades, the Eternal sword or Cruxis to her or her friends."

Amazing how fast a face could fall. Lloyd looked extremely crushed in the fraction of a second.

"But- But…"

"No. Right now, the chosen believes in the prophecy of World regeneration. In order to lure Yggdrasill out of hiding, we need her to finish her journey with full motivation." I cut through his words harshly.

"Then… You're just using her as bait?" Lloyd's eyes widened.

"… In a way." I admitted.

"It's still better than using her for target practice." Yuan added with a sadistic grin.

"Ah…" Lloyd glanced at the floor, completely at loss for words.

"Botta, inform the Renegades of our decision. Make sure they keep a close eye on the other Cardinals, especially Kvar. Lloyd, go and prepare to join the chosen on her journey." Yuan sat down in his chair again, folding his arms.

"Yes, sir." Botta gave a short salute before turning and walking out the door. Lloyd followed, looking slightly weary.

Somehow, I got the impression Yuan didn't like my son very much.


	32. Afterwards

((A/N: Six reviews again! w00t!

Next chapter. I forgot what the title was all about, but it made sense at the time... I'm working real hard to finish writing this story so that I won't have to worry about upload speeds, and can focus on my A-U fic a bit more. Heh.))

* * *

Chapter thirty-one, Yuan's P.O.V.  
Afterwards.

I sighed, leaning back in my chair and rubbing my temples wearily. That boy gave me such a headache…

"What was that just now?" Kratos enquired, moving to stand next to my desk. His eyes gave me a penetrating stare.

"What was what?" I asked softly, though I already knew what he meant.

"That little shouting match you had with Lloyd."

"Well, the kid needed to be snapped out of his fantasy world and get in touch with reality. All I did was point out the facts." I gave a simple shrug, not quite meeting his gaze.

"You were patronizing him." Kratos pointed out.

"Oh, was I? I had no idea." A slight smile dawned on my face.

"Yuan…" the man sighed, taking another step forward. "Are you jealous of Lloyd?"

I immediately looked up, slightly startled. Then I felt a blush of indignation tinge my cheeks. "No, ofcourse not." I managed to stammer. "I'm just… _worried_ that that kid will take up all your time."

Kratos chuckled. "It's the same thing."

I thought deeply, hoping to find a difference, but there wasn't one. Perhaps I really was jealous of that damn kid. "Well…"

"You're still the most important person in the world to me." Kratos smiled gently, reaching out to stroke my cheek. "Lloyd is… well… Lloyd."

"Are you planning on telling him the truth?" I looked up at him, watching his face contort for a fraction of a second.

"… I don't know yet."

"You don't know yet?" I repeated, tilting my head. "Don't you think he deserves to know?"

"I'm not sure if it's in his best interest." Kratos stared blankly at the floor. "Right now, he's under the impression that his mother was killed by Desians. He hates me because he thinks I abandoned him."

"I see…"

If Kratos told him the truth, there's no telling how the boy would react. And right now, that kid was our only hope. If he took the same path Mithos chose all those years ago, we'd be screwed.

"Maybe, when this is all over, you can tell him." I suggested.

"Perhaps." Kratos still didn't look convinced.

I gave a faint laugh before wrapping my arms around his waist and pulling him onto my lap. It wasn't like him to act so down. And after all that's happened, I just wanted to hold him close, which is why I did so.

"Then… You're not mad anymore?" Kratos enquired, putting an arm around my shoulder. "Because I have to say, sleeping on a chair is not very comfortable."

Frowning, I pretended to think deeply about that. "Alright, you can sleep in the bedroom again. But you'll have to work damn hard to keep me happy."

"You seem to enjoy abusing your newfound power." Kratos muttered, though the smile still hadn't left his face.

"Oh, it's not power. It's more like… a way of manipulation." I grinned widely.

Kratos chuckled again, ruffling my hair in a loving way. I was just about to retort with an action of my own when the office door hissed open and Zelos came barging in.

"What's this I hear about you sending Lloyd away?" he demanded immediately.

"… Zelos…" I growled.

"He's just a kid you know! And he hasn't had any proper training! You could've asked me before you-"

"Zelos!" I snapped, effectively shutting him up.

"Lloyd offered to go himself. There was nothing we could do to stop him." Kratos spoke calmly.

"Still…" Zelos trailed off, not sure what else there was to say.

"Since when do you care so much?" I narrowed my eyes suspiciously.

"Well, he's my bud, you know. We gotta look out for each other." He muttered, staring blankly at the floor.

"He'll be fine." Kratos stated as-a-matter-of-factly.

"Hmm…" Zelos looked up, observing us closely. "Did I interrupt something?"

I noticed that Kratos started blushing faintly, shifting in my lap. My face must've looked a bit red as well.

"Get out." I hissed.

"Heh. You're probably celebrating that Yuan is better, huh? Ah yes, young love in bloom…" Zelos continued, putting a thoughtful hand to his chin.

"OUT!"

I must have roared a lot more loud and ferocious than I thought, because Zelos was out the door faster than humanly possible.

* * *

((Zelos serves as wonderful comedy relief. XD)) 


	33. The Last Seal

((A/N: Five reviews, eh? Well, that's ok. I know that this fic is turning out awfully long, and I do apologize. But you can consider this chapter the start of the ending. ... An ending that will last about nine to ten chapters, seeing as the gang has a lot to do. Eheheh...))

* * *

Chapter thirty-two, Kratos' P.O.V.  
The Last Seal.

"Dammit, they're already inside!"

We'd arrived outside the tower of salvation, only to realize that we were a few minutes too late. After having received the news that the chosen and her friends were finishing the journey of Regeneration, we'd hurried to the tower as fast as we could. Yuan, Zelos, Sheena, Botta, myself and a few Renegades.

It was unbelievable how quickly the chosen had travelled. Not even a week after sending Lloyd to join up with her had they released all the seals. Though, after all this time, we still hadn't had a chance to contact him. It was vital that Lloyd wouldn't rouse suspicion, therefore we couldn't meet up with him or send him a message of any sort. He appeared to be doing fine though. In fact, somehow they even managed to destroy Asgard's human ranch.

Kvar was dead. Kvar, the one who had chased Anna and me for three years before taking away her Cruxis crystal. The one who had forced me to kill my wife. He was gone. Of course, that might seem like a good thing, but it irked me that I never got any revenge myself. I could only satisfy myself with the thought that my son had given him his just reward.

Now, here we were, chasing after the chosen only to realize that…

"We're too late." I stated.

"Like hell we are. It's not over till the chosen loses her soul." Yuan snapped, more irritated than usual. "We're going in."

"That's just what I wanted to hear." Zelos added, drawing his sword.

Sheena gave the two bloodthirsty men a quick frown, before turning to me. I merely shrugged at her, indicating that there was no other option than to follow their plan.

"Botta, wait outside. Make sure that if Yggdrasill, or anyone else suspicious, tries to pass through here, they won't survive." Yuan ordered, casting a quick glance at our sub commander.

"Yes sir." Botta gave a short salute, as well as the three Renegades by his side.

"Let's go." I spoke shortly, stepping into the tower with the others.

* * *

The first thing that drew my attention when the light of the teleporter subsided was a flash of wings. The chosen one was standing at the altar, ready to release the final seal. Remiel was floating a few feet away from her, his arms crossed impatiently. Standing behind the chosen and directly in our path was a group of people. I immediately recognised Lloyd, due to his brown hair and distinctive red shirt. Next to him stood a small boy, and there was also a woman with shoulder length hair of a white colour, the same as the boy. But… There was someone else. That blonde hair… Those clothes… No! 

"Mithos!" Yuan roared next to me, already running forward with his sabre drawn.

Things happened so fast it was hard to tell what exactly was happening, but the next second a flurry of fireballs came whizzing past my left ear. There was a clash of weaponry and Yuan suddenly found himself blocked by the woman, who was holding his blade back with a long staff.

"Out of my way, girl!" Yuan spat, pulling his sabre back before trying to shove her aside.

"No! You won't touch Mithos!" shouted the small boy who was now holding up a kendama. He was standing in front of the blonde boy in a protective manner.

Right on cue, Zelos, Sheena and myself also drew our weapons. If they were going to protect Yggdrasill, they'd have to die.

"Guys! Wait!" Lloyd called out, stepping forward. "What's going on?"

"Lloyd, you moron! Yggdrasill's right under your nose!" Yuan shouted, still attempting to push the woman back.

Lloyd froze, his eyes widening. "What? You mean Mithos? But…"

A sudden giggling rang through the room. A giggling that soon evolved into a loud, childish laughter. Everyone instinctively lowered their weapons as they turned to stare at Mithos. The boy was having a full-blown laughing fit.

"M-Mithos?" The white-haired boy asked, approaching him.

Paying no attention to the other, Mithos stepped towards the altar, still chuckling under his breath. "Ah, Kratos, you wouldn't believe how gullible that kid is. Just tell him Mithos is a common boy's name, act innocent for a bit and he won't relate you to Mithos Yggdrasill at all."

"I…" Lloyd blinked in confusion, though his hands automatically clenched the hilts of his swords.

"Yes, it's so easy to make friends with inferior worms such as these. It's amazing how nice they were to me. They even let me tag along on their journey of regeneration." Mithos continued happily. Remiel bowed to him as he stopped in front of the altar.

"Mithos, what are you talking about?" the white-haired boy's voice was trembling slightly.

"Oh, come on Genis. Don't be sad. I did kind of take a liking to you. But I only pretended to be your friend so I could keep an eye on the chosen here." Mithos turned to the mute girl, who was now standing next to him. "Now, would you be so kind as to release the final seal, Colette? I'm sure you'll enjoy being an angel."

The girl stared at him, unsure what to do. Her pink wings still fluttered on her back, looking almost as though they were eager to take flight. But if she went up to that altar…

"Don't do it Colette! You won't become an angel! If you release that seal, Sylvarant and Tethe'alla will die! _You_ will die!" Lloyd shouted.

"Tethe'alla?" the woman gave Lloyd a strange look.

"Lloyd, I don't understand. What are you…" the boy trailed off, staring at the ground.

"If you won't release the seal voluntarily…" Mithos paused, closing his eyes. He became encased in a shimmer of lights before transforming into Yggdrasill with a bright flash. "I'll _make_ you." He spoke in a deep voice, flying towards the group at top speed.

Within a second, every Renegade in the room had raised their weapon again, running forward to meet Yggdrasill. Every Renegade, except for one. Lloyd, who was too slow to react, received a hard blow to the head before he was lifted off the ground by a pair of hands.

"No!" I watched in horror as Yggdrasill flew high into the air, returning to the altar to take place next to Remiel. His left arm was hooked around Lloyd's throat as his right palm was pressed against the side of the boy's head like a gun.

Lloyd struggled for release, but was unable to break free from the man's grip. I heard Zelos, Sheena and Yuan shout various curse words, but didn't bother to listen to them. First, Yggdrasill had kidnapped and tormented the one I loved into a state of mental breakdown, and now he had gotten his hands on Lloyd. I thought things couldn't get any worse, but they did.

"Back off, or your son dies."

* * *

((... Oh Yggy, you evil little jerk. Heheh.))  
((And yes, I think it's safe to assume that Lloyd would be moronic enough as to not recognise Yggdrasill, even when he's right under his nose. Basically the same thing happened in the game, after all...)) 


	34. Battling An Angel

((A/N: Six reviews seems to be a nice average, doesn't it? Heheheh. Oh well, time for the next chapter! This is, I think, one of the best fight scenes I've ever written. I'm certainly proud of it. You'll probably think I'm pathetic after reading it, but whatever.))

* * *

Chapter thirty-three, Yuan's P.O.V.  
Battling An Angel.

"Back off, or your son dies."

As Yggdrasill said this, he was peering directly at Kratos. Which was why everyone else froze and turned to stare at him as well. Sheena's eyebrows raised immensely and I heard Zelos produce a strange spluttering sound. Lloyd had ceased his struggles for a moment, an expression of shock spreading across his face. Kratos looked almost as though he couldn't care less what Yggdrasill had just said, but I knew otherwise.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Did I spoil your little secret?" Yggdrasill grinned mischievously.

Kratos still didn't respond, though I could see his fingers stroking Flamberge's hilt indecisively.

"Now, Colette, I'm going to ask you one last time. Release the final seal." Yggdrasill increased his grip around Lloyd's throat, his eyes narrowing

The girl glanced up at the two, biting her bottom lip, before turning back to her travelling companions, probably hoping to receive some advice. The two half-elves however, seemed to be horribly confused by the situation as well.

"You can't!" Sheena called. She was immediately forced to jump backwards though, when Yggdrasill fired an energy blast at her.

Letting out a near-impossible to hear sigh, the chosen stepped forward and clasped her hands together in prayer. Her wings flapping once, she soared upwards to greet her doom.

"Yes, Colette. Come to your father. Obey Cruxis' wishes and become an angel." Remiel smiled coldly at her.

"No!" I roared, trying to come up with a way to stop Yggdrasill. Sadly, I came up empty. Right now, the man had Lloyd as his trump card. If the kid was just any kid, it wouldn't have mattered if he died. But Lloyd wasn't just any kid. Lloyd was the kid chosen by Origin. The only one who could wield the Eternal Sword. If he died…

"Colette!" the white-haired boy shouted.

A shower of lights rained down on the chosen. There was a quick flash and when she turned around again, her eyes had turned the colour of blood. They were soulless and empty. Martel's vessel was completed.

We'd failed.

"Excellent." Yggdrasill flew forward to grab the chosen's arm, carelessly dropping Lloyd to the ground. The boy fell about ten feet, landing face-first on the floor.

"Lloyd!" Zelos and Sheena cried in unison, running towards him to see if he was alright.

"This time, I'm sure the Mana signature will be a match. Martel will finally return to me!" Yggdrasill's face showed decades of growing insanity, as he smiled in a way so twisted that no normal half-elf or human could pull it off.

"My lord…" Remiel took a deep bow. "Please allow me to destroy these inferior pests."

"I leave it to you, Remiel." Yggdrasill replied, disappearing in a flash of light, taking the new vessel with him.

"Colette! No!" the white-haired boy cried again.

"Genis, keep your guard up!" his sister called warningly, casting a glance at Remiel, who had summoned three angelic helpers by his side.

"For standing in lord Yggdrasill's way, and for betraying Cruxis… You shall die!" the man barked. "And when you do, I'll take over as one of the four Seraphim!"

"You're a fool, Remiel! Yggdrasill considers you nothing more than a disposable pawn!" I retorted, raising my weapon.

"We'll see about that."

Remiel darted forward, followed by his minions. Within seconds, a chaotic battle had started. Kratos, Zelos, Sheena and even the two half-elven siblings fought to keep Remiel at bay. Lloyd soon managed to crawl to his feet and join in on the fray. As he was too weakened to use the Eternal sword, he fought with two simple blades. From what I could see, he was also refusing to make eye contact with Kratos.

It didn't take long for the three helpers to fall to the ground, but Remiel himself remained on his feet, continuously evading our attacks.

"Super Lightning Blade!" I tried to stab the angel, only to miss spectacularly when he dodged to the right.

"Photon!" he shouted behind my back, and before I knew it I'd slammed into the ground, my vision turning white for a moment. A metallic clang told me that my weapon had landed not too far away.

"First Aid!"

The soothing sensation of healing magic spread through my body, causing the pain to immediately dissipate. When I looked up I saw the half-elf girl lower her staff, a mild expression of relief on her face. I cast her a quick smile before pushing myself to my feet and grabbing my weapon again.

"Double Demon Fang!" Zelos tried, but only one of the two energy blasts reached their target.

This battle was taking too long… At this very moment, Yggdrasill was trying to use that chosen's body to revive Martel. Remiel was merely a distraction. We had to corner the guy and get rid of him as soon as possible.

"Power Seal Pinion!" Sheena slapped two of her guardian cards into Remiel's face, momentarily confusing him.

"Raging Beast!" Lloyd added, releasing a wave of raw energy to ensure that Remiel staggered backwards.

I was just about to continue the combo with an attack of my own, when I noticed a flash of light on my left. The boy named Genis was going to release a spell he'd apparently been charging for quite a while now.

"Cyclone!"

A gust of air blasted upwards, sending Remiel into a spiral. That kid… was smarter than he looked. He took advantage of Remiel's overlarge wings and the fact that he constantly stayed airborne during battle, and turned that into a weak point.

"Kratos!" I called, turning to my partner, who nodded.

"Light Spear!" Kratos jumped upwards, spiralling together with Remiel, before halting in mid-air and thrusting forward.

With that, the battle was over. Remiel screamed and fell to the ground, the wind of Genis' attack still ruffling his hair slightly and sending feathers everywhere. Kratos landed next to him with a 'tap' before removing his sword from Remiel's stomach.

Another one of Yggdrasill's minions had fallen.


	35. Moving On

((A/N: Oh wow... Three reviews. That's a nice halvation of the normal review count. XD))

* * *

Chapter thirty-four, Kratos' P.O.V.  
Moving On.

I sighed, wiping the blood off Flamberge's blade with the aid of Remiel's clothes before sheathing my trusty weapon. Then I straightened up, turning to face the others.

Everyone was staring at Lloyd, who was basically slowly walking forward to meet me. The expression on his face was completely blank. I peered back at him, just as blankly. A family trait, perhaps?

He stopped in front of me, staring into my eyes. His face swiftly contorted in anger as he drew back his fist to punch me in the stomach.

"You bastard!" his scream basically rang through the tower.

I staggered backwards, before falling over. Not because his punch had packed almost all the power in his Cruxis crystal, but because of his words.

"You killed mom! Kvar told me that you killed her!" he continued, rounding on me again.

I couldn't do anything but watch as he kicked me. No words to deny what he had just said left my mouth. It was true, after all.

"And all this time, you knew, didn't you?"

He kicked again.

"You _knew_ you were my dad, and you never said anything!"

And again…

"You lying jerk!"

Tears were starting to run down his face.

"You lying… backstabbing… _murderer_!"

Just as Lloyd tried to kick again, Yuan moved to stand between us, pushing the boy back. He was protecting me.

"Lloyd, stop this." He spoke calmly.

"You! You knew too, didn't you? I bet you were having a real laugh!" Lloyd snapped angrily. "I bet you would've even helped to kill mom if you had the chance!"

He moved his fist back to strike Yuan as well, but was stopped when Zelos grabbed him from behind. The red-head held his arm tightly, preventing any more attacks.

"Don't." Zelos said shortly, shaking his head.

"But he… He killed her! Why are you defending them?" Lloyd demanded in a shaking voice, still crying.

Yuan crossed his arms, glaring down at him. "I suggest you save your judgment until you hear the full story. But right now, we have more important matters to attend to."

Lloyd dropped his offensive posture, closing his eyes to lean into Zelos' chest. The ex-chosen wrapped his arms around the boy protectively.

I sat up, rubbing my sore stomach. Every word Lloyd had said was like a knife to my heart. Twisting and jabbing to re-open old wounds. I was a murderer… A lying murderer… I couldn't even save my own family. All of it was true.

When I looked up I saw that Yuan was extending a hand to me. I took it, allowing him to pull me to my feet.

"You two. What did Yggdrasill tell you?" he asked loudly, turning to the half-elven siblings.

"Mithos… He…" The younger one looked away, staring sadly at the ground.

"We met him outside the Martel temple. He was wounded." The woman began. "After we healed him, he told us that he lived on the outskirts of Iselia and was attacked by Desians. He also claimed that those Desians had murdered his parents. We… took pity on him and let him join us on our journey." She looked ashamed for believing such a story.

"Why were you two on the journey to begin with? Didn't the chosen have a group of priests to guide her?" Yuan questioned.

"A few of them were killed at Martel temple by monsters. I asked the mayor of Iselia if I could protect Colette in their stead. Also, I couldn't leave Genis behind." The girl cast a quick glance at her younger brother.

"I see." Yuan turned, thinking deeply.

"What's happened to Colette?" the woman demanded.

"She's been turned into a vessel. By giving up her heart and soul, her body is fit to host Martel's soul." Yuan replied shortly.

"The _goddess_ Martel?"

"She's no more of a goddess than you and I." The half-elf cast her a quick glance before looking away again.

"It doesn't matter! Right now, we need to stop Yggdrasill, right?" Sheena interrupted, looking anxious. "Where would he have taken the chosen?"

"To the Great Seed's chamber, most likely. He'll want to start the download right away." Yuan's eyes narrowed slightly in irritation.

"Then, we need to go there and pry the chosen from his hands! Most preferably, his _dead _hands." Zelos smiled lightly, still holding Lloyd close.

"You… You want to kill Mithos?" Genis finally spoke up again.

"Yes. Duh. He's the bad guy, you know." Zelos rolled his eyes.

The half-elf boy turned his gaze to the ground again, trembling slightly to hold back tears.

"What's the fastest way to get to the chamber?" Sheena asked.

"We take that teleporter over there to the first basement level. Then we need to walk the rest, all the way down to the last level." Yuan glanced up at the altar, using his Cruxis authorization to summon the teleporter there. "If we're lucky, Yggdrasill won't have had time to set up any traps."

"We're coming with you." The healer spoke up, and her little brother gave a short nod.

"You'll only get in the way." Yuan snapped.

"Really? Because I'd say we were a big help during your last battle." The girl smiled slyly. "Besides, we want to get our revenge on Mithos too."

"Tch. Do as you wish." Yuan admitted defeat with a grunt, before walking off. The others followed.

Another face off with Yggdrasill. Hopefully, this would be the last one.

* * *

((Yaaay!)) 


	36. Mithos The Hero

((A/N: 7 reviews! Yaaaay!

This fic turned out to have 40 chapters and an epilogue. A whole lot more than I originally planned. I also think it really shows that I slacked off during the ending. But, whatever. Enjoy this chapter.))

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Chapter thirty-five, Yuan's P.O.V.  
Mithos The Hero.

Our trek through the tower's basement remained virtually without conversation. We basically slaughtered our way to the lowest level. Though there were quite a lot of Yggdrasill's angels around, it seemed that he hadn't set up any real traps after all.

Lloyd stubbornly ignored every attempt Kratos made in aiding him in battle. The boy tended to separate himself from the group, fighting on his own. There was nothing that could be done about it though. Not now.

Finally, we made it to the bottom level, where the Great Seed's chamber lay. We stopped at the door, taking one last moment to catch our breath.

"Is everyone still in one piece?" Zelos asked, glancing around apprehensively.

"Yeah…" Sheena gave a stiff nod.

"If you could give me a moment to recover, I'll be fine." The woman called Raine sighed, clutching her staff to keep herself upright.

Her little brother wasn't looking too energetic either. All this spell-casting could really take it out of a person, half-elf or not. Besides, they hadn't had any special training either. They were both probably more exhausted than they showed.

Kratos reached into his pocket, pulling out two small objects and handing them to the half-elf siblings.

"Are these…" Raine began, raising an eyebrow.

"Miracle gels. I've been saving a few for emergencies." Kratos replied shortly.

"Ah… Thanks." Genis blinked, looking slightly uncomfortable.

Lloyd scoffed from a far corner, but he was mostly ignored. Raine and Genis both gulped down the Miracle gels, which seemed to have an almost immediate effect on them.

"Yggdrasill is beyond this door." I spoke, getting everyone's attention. "There's no way back once you enter. And if you do, you'll be fighting for your life. So if you want to turn around, now's your last chance."

"No way!" Zelos said loudly.

"When I joined the Renegades, I knew something like this could happen. I took the job anyway. So I'm in." Sheena added.

"To fight the boy we've been protecting up until now… The one who was by our side for weeks… It's going to be hard. But we'll manage. Right Genis?" Raine turned to her brother.

"R-right." Genis replied, though he didn't seem all that convinced.

Naturally, Kratos was coming too. He would never turn down a battle with Yggdrasill. Besides, I was sure he'd sworn to destroy his former student by now. Which meant that there was only one person left who could turn back.

"And you, Lloyd?" I turned to the boy who was still standing in the far corner.

"I'll come. I've got nothing to lose." Lloyd said coldly.

An awkward silence followed. I noticed Zelos was giving the kid a rather concerned look. Both of them had changed. Zelos' change was slow and gradual, but Lloyd had flipped around in a matter of seconds. And though it pained me to admit it, I liked the old, annoying Lloyd better.

"Then, let's go." Kratos turned, placing a hand on the door and pushing it open.

We entered the chamber with a great sense of foreboding. When we were all inside, the door slammed shut behind us, leaving us no escape. Yggdrasill was standing with his back to us, gazing at the Great Seed. Underneath it was the cocoon that held the chosen's lifeless body. The download had already started.

"Let Colette go!" Lloyd shouted, stepping forward.

Yggdrasill turned, smiling in a twisted way. "Let her go? Don't make me laugh! Who are you to give me orders?"

"We're the ones who are going to destroy you!" the swordsman retorted.

"Mithos, please. Just return Colette now. If you don't…" Genis trailed off sadly.

"She's no use to you either. Her soul cannot be returned. She is destined to become Martel's vessel. If she does not complete the download, her sacrifice will have been in vain. Is that really what you want?" Yggdrasill questioned.

"Ah…"

"All I want is to see my sister's smile again. Are you really so selfish that you'll take that away from me?" the seraph continued in a whisper.

"_You're_ the one that's selfish!" Zelos shouted. "If you revive Martel, the Great Seed will die, along with the people of both worlds!"

"Wrong!" Yggdrasill snapped loudly. "Martel will save them. She'll take pity on all those corrupt souls and guide them to salvation."

"Honestly, you're so deep into your own lies that you've actually started to _believe_ them!" I said with a cold smile.

Martel… she couldn't save anyone. Though she would take pity on all those people, there was nothing that she could do. The loss of the Great Seed would mean the death of everyone on the planet. This was why… we had to stop her from being revived. But how long had the download been going on?

"They're not lies! Martel… Martel is a goddess. She'll know what to do!"

For a moment, I recognised the small child that Yggdrasill truly was. Mithos, the boy who had gained the power of the Eternal Sword, but was still left helpless when his sister was murdered. The one who wanted desperately to stop the war and save the Kharlan tree, but lost his mind that fateful day. Mithos the 'hero'.


	37. The Slumbering Goddess

((A/N: Six reviews! Yay! I would've updated yesterday, but the site wouldn't let me upload documents. Wah...))

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Chapter thirty-six, Kratos' P.O.V.  
The Slumbering Goddess.

Mithos… Where did I go wrong in teaching you? Maybe all this was my fault. Maybe I should've been stricter than I was back then. If I'd stopped you then perhaps none of this madness would have happened.

I'm sorry for failing you, my student.

"Mithos, I've let you do what you wanted to long enough. It's time to put a stop to this." I unsheathed my sword, glaring at him.

"Ah, but you're too late." Yggdrasill smiled slyly. "The download finished just now."

"W-what?" I heard Yuan stutter.

"No! Colette!" Lloyd called desperately.

Yggdrasill simply started to laugh. Laughing like a complete madman. The cocoon started to hiss, its lid opening. And already, the Great Seed was slowly flickering in and out of existence.

"Dammit!" I shouted, feeling completely helpless.

The blonde girl sat up, her expression blank. She gazed around the room before getting to her feet, stepping forward. Yggdrasill grinned broadly at her.

"My dearest sister. You've finally come back to me." He murmured.

"Mithos… What have you done?" the girl asked in a distant voice. Martel's voice.

I noticed Yuan flinched by my side, turning rather pale.

"Hm? You mean my body? I hastened my growth to have an appearance befitting the leader of Cruxis. If you want, I can change back." Yggdrasill offered.

"No, not that. I've been watching all this time. Unable to move, unable to do anything, I watched all those foolish things you've done." Martel shook her head. "Have you forgotten everything?"

"Forgotten? No, I remembered. Unlike Kratos and Yuan, I _remembered_. You wanted to see a world free of discrimination." Yggdrasill smiled at her.

"No, Mithos. We dreamt of a world where humans, elves, and those in between could live in harmony. Not a world where everyone is the same being." Martel paused for a moment. "I never asked you to preserve my soul either."

"What are you saying?" Yggdrasill demanded. "This after all the trouble I went through to get you a new body! But perhaps you don't like that one…"

"Mithos, listen to me. What you have done is wrong." Martel spoke, more loudly this time.

"Wrong?" Yggdrasill repeated blankly. "You're… rejecting me?"

"No. I want you to remember. Please, stop this and become your old self again."

"Martel… Even _you_ reject me? No… Martel would never do something like that." Yggdrasill turned back to our group, his eyes narrowing. "_You_! What did you do to her?"

"We didn't do anything. Martel's words are true." I gave the girl a small smile, grateful that she too didn't agree with Mithos' ideals.

"You're lying! You did something to her! You traitors!" Yggdrasill's wings seemed to spark with anger. "Give my sister back, _now_!"

Without another second thought, the seraph rushed forward, trying to strike me down. I managed to dodge him just in time but I knew that behind my back he was already whirling around to try again. There was a metallic sound and the next second both Yuan and Sheena had jumped forward to guard me.

It was time to battle.

It didn't take long for our comrades to take out their weapons and join us in the fight. Already, Raine was chanting a spell, while Zelos and Lloyd rushed towards Cruxis' leader, swords drawn. Genis seemed to be hesitating for a moment, before quickly blinking and preparing a spell of his own.

"Raining Tiger Blade!" Lloyd's swords narrowly missed their target, as Yggdrasill dodged the attack with ease.

"Photon!" Raine called, raising her staff to the sky.

Yggdrasill staggered for a moment, before disappearing from the spot. Raine managed to whip around just in time to hold up her staff and summon a Force Field, as Yggdrasill used his famed Death Eater technique.

Both Yuan and I took this chance to attack head-on. We managed to land a few slashes with our blades before Yggdrasill swirled in mid-air, forcing us to back off again. Then he vanished from the spot and re-appeared behind Lloyd.

"Spark Web!"

Yggdrasill suddenly found himself captured by Genis' spell, which took effect almost immediately. The man screamed in pain, wrapping his arms around himself and doubling over. I noticed that Genis was looking away with an expression to match Yggdrasill's agony. Maybe it was a mistake to let the boy fight with us.

Quickly making up my mind, I tried to catch Yuan's eye and sent him a signal to charge forward and keep Yggdrasill busy. He nodded, raising his blade with a determined look and running forward.

Dodging a few stray attacks, I darted towards the half-elf boy, who was just about to prepare another spell.

"Stop." I spoke shortly.

"What?" he looked up me, obviously confused.

"This enemy is too much for you. Go guard the chosen instead." I turned to indicate Martel, who was still standing near the cocoon, watching the battle intently.

"But… I have to help you guys. Mithos has to be stopped." Genis stuttered, his voice shaking.

"If she dies, there's no point in stopping Mithos. Now go."

The boy lowered his head, giving a barely visible nod. Then he ran off to meet up with Martel. To fight a dear friend… is like a knife to the heart.

* * *

((Genis/Mithos? Yeah. A bit. I'm evil like that, I guess.)) 


	38. A Hero's Life

((A/N: Whoops, long time no update. I kinda... entered a little writing slump, but don't worry. This story is already finished so you won't suffer from lack of updates. (I'm not sure if you should be happy about that...)))

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Chapter thirty-seven, Yuan's P.O.V.  
A Hero's Life.

The fight continued for what seemed like hours, though they were probably only minutes. But every minute was a minute too long. The Great Seed was dying. _Everyone_ was going to die. We had to stop this, now.

Just as I pulled back from another attack, Kratos appeared by my side.

"There's only one way to finish this quickly." He said, a determined look in his eyes. I knew instantly what he meant.

"Will we have enough time to finish the spell?" I questioned, raising a doubtful eyebrow.

"As long as the others manage to keep Yggdrasill busy, we'll be fine." Kratos cast a quick glance at our team-mates, who were still in the heat of battle.

"Then, let's give it a shot." I raised my thumb and index finger to my mouth, letting out a high-pitched whistle.

Nearly everyone immediately looked up, casting me a curious glance. Zelos and Sheena, though, were the only ones who understood what it meant. They quickly braced themselves for a fiercer battle, as it was up to them to keep Yggdrasill busy.

Already, Kratos and I were stepping back to keep some distance from the fight. Yggdrasill seemed to notice that we were up to something, but our companions' interference ensured he couldn't get closer. Raine and Lloyd also caught on with the plan, resorting to more physical combat to keep Yggdrasill at bay.

I turned to Kratos, trying to banish all other thoughts from my mind. This would take an incredible amount of concentration and one slip-up would mean the end of it. I reached out to take Kratos' hands in my own as we both released our wings. I tried to tune in to Kratos' mind. To think what he was thinking. To feel what he was feeling. All that hidden sorrow and fear… I sensed that at the same time, he was tuning in to my own thoughts. We had to be in perfect synchronization.

Together, we started to chant. Ancient, powerful words that had lost their meaning over time. Still, we knew what they stood for. A magic circle appeared at our feet, continuing to grow and spread around us, as we did not halt our chanting. Our surroundings were completely forgotten.

If all went as planned, Zelos and Sheena would try to weaken Yggdrasill as much as possible. They would attempt to keep him in one spot, making sure the attack would immediately strike its target. If all went as planned, that is. The big flaw in this strategy was that we couldn't look up to see if things were indeed going as planned.

Magic continued to build-up around us, soon reaching its peak. The only thing I heard was the spell, echoing though my head. Kratos' voice and my own… There was hardly a difference anymore. And then…

"Divine Judgment!"

Instant mayhem broke loose. Lightning crackled all around the room, stunning its target without mercy. Powerful rays of light rained down from the ceiling, narrowly avoiding our companions. The ground shuddered as though it would break and sharp gusts of wind finished the attack rather nicely. One agonized cry told me that it was all over.

Yggdrasill fell to his knees, practically covered in blood. There was a bland flash of light as his appearance changed back into that of a young boy. An innocent-looking little boy.

"Mithos!"

Martel tried to stop him, but was too late to grab Genis' arm as he lunged forward. He crouched down beside Mithos, looking on the verge of tears. The blonde barely seemed to notice he was there, staring at the ground with tired eyes. Eyes that had witnessed four-thousand years of insanity.

"All I wanted was a world… for my sister and me…"

With that, he slumped forward, the body that was being sustained by the Cruxis crystal for all these years breaking apart into fading shimmers. Soon, the last sparkle disappeared from view, leaving only that accursed jewel. Mithos Yggdrasill was no more.

"Mithos…" Genis buried his face in his hands, shaking heavily. His sister was soon standing by his side, trying to comfort him.

I looked up at Martel, noticing that she was silently crying as well. Tears were running down the face that didn't belong to her.

"Foolish brother." She whispered.

"Martel…" I took a step forward, unsure what to say. Unsure what to do.

She looked up at me with clear blue eyes, before casting her gaze at the floor again. "I am… ashamed that you should see me like this. Inside a stranger's body. It is a fate I never wanted."

"Strangely enough, that girl looks a lot like you did when you were her age." I smiled sadly.

"Yuan…" Martel bit her bottom lip anxiously.

Kratos stepped forward to stand next to me, gazing directly at Martel. "If you've been watching all this time…"

I flinched for a moment, thinking about that. If Martel had been watching all this time, then she'd know about the relationship I had with Kratos. Something I'd have preferred to keep from her. Once, a long time ago, I vowed that I would love her forever. Even though I still did to this day, I couldn't help but feel that I'd betrayed her.

The girl nodded, confirming our suspicions. "Yes, Kratos. I know. However, I don't blame you. Either of you." She smiled gently, just like she used to do in the past. "I wouldn't have wanted Yuan to be alone after I was gone. So I need you to continue looking after him for me."

As she said that, the seed started to flicker again, more intensely this time. It was time to say farewell again.

* * *

((Yes, I know. Divine Judgment is someone's Hi-Ougi. I stole the name. Big deal. People do that sort of stuff all the time. ... Right? Well, I couldn't think of anything better anyway.)) 


	39. Souls Of The Great Seed

((A/N: ... Not much to say.))

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Chapter thirty-eight, Kratos' P.O.V.  
Souls Of The Great Seed.

Martel, Yuan's fiancée, didn't blame me for being with him. That was just like her. She was kind, sometimes too much for her own good. Still, I was glad to have gotten her approval in a way. The thought of what Martel would say if she saw me with Yuan had haunted me since the beginning.

There was no time to think about that now. Time was ticking.

"Martel, can we still save the Great Seed?" I demanded.

The girl closed her eyes slowly, giving a nod. "It is not too late. But I can hear the seed crying out in pain."

I looked up, watching the Great Seed flicker in and out of existence. Slowly, it was being absorbed into Martel's new body.

"Then we have to do something, _now_!" Sheena exclaimed, sounding almost nervous.

"There is only one way." Martel spoke, opening her eyes again. "You must tie this Cruxis crystal to the Great Seed once more."

"What?" Yuan looked slightly stunned.

"With a special keycrest, we might have been able to exorcise my soul from this body and return it to the Great Seed. Such a keycrest takes time to prepare. Time we do not have." Martel explained, a tone of remorse in her voice. "There is no other way."

"If we do that, what will happen to Colette?" Raine questioned.

"She too will merge with Great Seed, becoming one of its inhabitants."

"She'll die?" Lloyd exclaimed angrily.

Martel shook her head. "No. Her soul will live on to become part of a greater whole."

"But we worked so hard to prevent Colette from becoming a sacrifice… To keep her with us…" Genis looked up from his tears, speaking in a squeaky voice.

"There is no way to return her to normal. Though, if you keep her in your heart, she will always live on. It is what she wants as well."

"How could you know? How could you know what Colette would want? You're just a fake goddess!" Lloyd screamed.

Martel remained calm, unphased by his words. "Because Colette's soul is now linked to my own. She does not want you to be sad, or mourn her loss."

"Colette…" Lloyd's angry expression washed away.

"If Colette's soul can be preserved in the Great Seed, just like your own, then…" Genis looked up hopefully, wiping away his tears. "Can Mithos be saved too?"

Mithos' Cruxis crystal was still lying on the ground, shimmering ominously.

"No." Martel whispered. "All those years of sadness. All those years of pain that drove him to the edge of insanity… To continue that life would be his true damnation. Mithos' crystal must be destroyed in order to end his suffering."

"Plus, in order to fully break Mithos' pact with Origin, he needs to die. As long as the pact remains, the two worlds can never be united." I added.

"I… I see…" Genis' voice reached that squeaky tone again.

The Great Seed flickered once more, before it slowly started to fade. Martel scrunched her eyes shut for a moment.

"There isn't much time left. Hurry." She said.

Martel would return to the Great Seed, along with the chosen. The seed would then be in our possession. Because Mithos would be dead as soon as we destroyed his crystal, we'd have full access of the Eternal Sword. But then…

"Martel, will we be able to get the tree to germinate?" I enquired quickly.

Martel shook her head again. "Even if you manage to annul the Mana links that protect it and allow the seed to sprout, the tree would be trapped between the dimensions. You must first unite the two worlds."

"I see…" I gave a curt nod, looking away. "Thank you for your help."

A small silence followed, as nobody seemed to move. Yuan was staring blankly at the ground. If we didn't do it now, we'd be too late.

"Yuan, should I-"

"No." he softly cut across me. "I'll do it."

With that, Yuan strode forward, approaching the blonde girl. Everyone's gaze followed him intently. He sighed deeply, looking down at the one who was once his fiancée.

"I'm sorry." He whispered in a voice that was only audible for those with angelic hearing.

"Don't be." Martel replied. "Farewell, Yuan."

Yuan reached out his hand, hesitating for a moment before closing his fingers around the Cruxis crystal and pulling it out of its keycrest. Instantly, the chosen's body fell to the ground, unmoving.

"Colette!" Lloyd and Genis cried in unison.

Silently, Yuan turned to the Great Seed. Tying one soul to it was hard enough, if we had to believe Mithos' words. That meant that tying two souls to it would be no picnic.


	40. Derris Kharlan

((A/N: Ack! I'd uploaded the wrong chapter last time! Geez, no wonder people were confused about Colette's death. I'm sorry. If you're still interested in a conversation with Martel and how Colette dies, go back and read chapter 38, okay? This here is chapter 39.))

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Chapter thirty-nine, Yuan's P.O.V.  
Derris-Kharlan.

About thirty minutes later, the deed had been done. Almost four-thousand years I hated Mithos for tying Martel's soul to the Great Seed, yet now I had done the same thing. To save the worlds, there was no other choice.

I turned my gaze to the boy named Genis, who still looked rather pale and depressed. There was something else that needed to be done.

"Hand me the crystal." I held out my hand, causing him to look up.

"Are you sure there's no way to save him?" the boy asked softly. His hands subconsciously clenched around the green crystal.

I nodded. To save the people, to unite the worlds and to revive the Kharlan tree… To follow Martel's wishes… There was no other way.

Genis hesitated for a moment, before holding out the crystal. He didn't even dare to look at it anymore. He must've really liked Mithos.

"Kratos, want to do the honours?" I asked, taking the crystal.

Kratos looked up from his thoughts, blinking as though the question didn't really get through to him. Then his brain finally seemed to catch up and process my words.

"Alright." He gave a curt nod, unsheathing his sword.

One slash was enough to shatter the crystal. One that we had created oh so long ago. We'd worked so hard to develop these things, yet they were so easily destroyed…

Farewell, Mithos.

A small silence followed. One that broken abruptly when Lloyd spoke up.

"What's next?"

"You reunite the worlds and revive the tree, obviously." I shot him a cold stare.

"I suggest we go outside and take the seed with us. This is not a suitable place for a tree and we have no idea how large it may become." Kratos crossed his arms, frowning up a the Great Seed.

"Alright. Lloyd can use the Eternal Sword to teleport us out." I spoke.

"Wait. What about… Colette?" Raine asked in a soft voice, gazing at the fallen Chosen.

I exchanged a glance with Kratos, not sure what to do. It would indeed be a bit crude to leave her body here like this…

"We could enclose her in one of the tower's coffins…" I suggested slowly.

"No." Lloyd snapped immediately, before his voice took on a sad tone. "She'd… She'd want to be buried at Iselia… That's where her home is."

"We can't take her there now. I'll send a few Renegades to retrieve her later, but right now we need to reunite the worlds."

"Yeah, yeah. Fine." Lloyd glared at me before summoning the Eternal Sword to teleport us out.

* * *

With a flash, we appeared in the cold outside air just outside the tower. It immediately struck me that something was horribly amiss. A strange wind was blowing, threatening to uproot trees, as lightning struck nearby. I heard several of my companions gasp. One gaze upwards told me what was wrong. 

Derris-Kharlan.

"W-what is that?!" Genis shouted, obviously panicking.

"That would be Derris-Kharlan." Kratos replied simply.

"_That_ is Derris-Kharlan?" Zelos seemed dumbstruck. "But… Why is it so close to us?"

"Mithos used the Eternal Sword's power to fix it into the planet's gravitational pull. It has been there for four-thousand years now." I explained, but that wasn't what was bothering me. "What I don't get is why it's showing itself now. Did the protective barrier break down?"

Normally, Derris-Kharlan would remain invisible to the eye. To make sure of that, Mithos set up a barrier that would constantly be projected from the tower of Salvation. Right now, the tower was still in one piece though.

"I would assume it is because the pact with Origin is completely broken." Kratos pondered, staring at the planet of Mana with a thoughtful expression.

"Sir!" Botta came running towards us, followed by the three Renegades that accompanied him. "What happened? Is Yggdrasill-"

"He's dead." I finished for him. "And as you can see we have the Great Seed in our possession now."

"That's good to hear." Botta smiled anxiously. "But now we've got another problem on our hands."

"You mean that?" I pointed upwards with a blank expression.

"In a way…" Botta mumbled. "We've received reports that people everywhere are panicking and various natural disasters are happening across the globe. But that's not the worst part."

I breathed a sigh, bracing myself for the oncoming bad news.

"Derris-Kharlan is slipping away."


	41. Heroes

((A/N: Phew... Chapter 40. The last real chapter. Uhm... Enjoy. That's all I really have to say.))

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Chapter forty, Kratos' P.O.V.  
Heroes. 

Derris-Kharlan was… slipping away?

"But why? If Mithos fixed it in the planet's orbit…" Zelos trailed off, a confused look on his face.

"Think for a moment. Now that Mithos is dead, the pact with the Eternal Sword has been completely transferred to Lloyd." Yuan spoke. "The effects of Mithos' fix are starting to wear off, which means that Derris-Kharlan will continue its journey through the universe."

"We will need its mana to germinate the Great Seed. Lloyd, you must unite the two worlds before it is too late." I say, turning to my son.

Lloyd glared at me with an expression that clearly said; 'How dare you boss me around!'. Still, he drew the Eternal Sword, raising it high above his head.

"Eternal Sword, hear my wish! Restore the true form of our two worlds!"

The sword started to shine more and more bright, until a beam shot out of its end, parting the clouds above us. Then, the light spread out, further and further until I was sure it had reached the other end of the world. Colors danced in the heavens, reminding me forcefully of the Aurora borealis you could see in Flanoir on rare occasions.

I heard Raine gasp the word "Marvelous!", while Zelos muttered something along the lines of "Way too bright…"

Unfortunately for Zelos, things only got brighter, as the Eternal Sword's light went on to swallow the entire planet. At times like this, I really hated having angelic vision. Enhanced eyesight ensured that you were even more easily blinded. Perhaps that was why Zelos was complaining…

Finally, the glow started to subside and everyone dared to look up again. Derris-Kharlan was still looming in the sky and the tower of Salvation was still reaching into the heavens like a landmark. To the untrained eye, nothing had changed. Yet I sensed it immediately. The world's mana level had dropped severely.

A loud rumbling originated from somewhere nearby, growing more intense by the second. The ground started to shake as though it might rip apart, causing everyone to stumble. Right on cue, Celsius appeared by Sheena's side, looking up at the heavens.

"Celsius, why are you here? What's going on?" the summoner asked.

"Your wish was granted. But there is no link. Without a link, the land will die." Origin's voice responded.

"Then we need to germinate the Kharlan tree. We can do that by feeding it Derris-Kharlan's mana, correct?" Yuan enquired.

"Correct. Derris-Kharlan is already at the edge of the gravitational field. Not even Yggdrasill… Mithos could stop this from happening." Origin's voice sounded mildly remorseful. "Do you still intend to try?"

Everyone turned to Lloyd expectantly. It was all up to him.

"Yeah." The boy gave a nod, his fingers clenching the Eternal Sword's hilt tightly.

"Even strengthened by your Exsphere, it is likely that your body will not

withstand the forces. Are you certain of your decision?" Origin urged.

The spirit's words scared me for a moment. If he went through with this… Lloyd could die. I could lose him again. He could disappear before I had a chance to explain what happened fifteen years ago…

"I said I'm doing it, so I'm doing it! It's not like we have a choice!" the boy sounded heavily aggravated.

"Very well." Origin relented.

The Eternal Sword started to shine once more as Mana rained down from the heavens. It simply bounced off the Great Seed with a sickening sound.

"It's not working. The Mana is being reflected!" Sheena exclaimed, a panicky note in her voice.

"Perhaps we were too late. The Great Seed might have died." Yuan stated blankly, staring upwards.

Just then, we noticed movement in the seed. It was starting to float upwards, towards the gloomy purple sky. Dead or not, it was escaping our grasp.

"That can't be good." Zelos muttered under his breath.

"H-hey! Come back!" Lloyd's wings appeared in a flash, giving one eager flap before the boy took flight.

We watched as Lloyd chased after the Great Seed, trying to stop its ascent. Begging it to wake up. Nothing happened.

"Aren't you going to help him?" Zelos demanded in an accusing voice, turning to Yuan and myself.

Yuan sighed, looking away. "What more can we do?"

"Some ancient heroes you are!"

Before anyone had time to stop him, Zelos had pursued Lloyd and the seed. I couldn't help but feel that it was up to them to save the worlds. The days that Yuan and I were considered heroes had long gone. Now was the time for a new generation of heroes.

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((Stay tuned for the Epilogue. ... Please?)) 


	42. Epilogue

((A/N: Okay, here we go. The epilogue. It's pretty obvious that this was a... rush job. Well, more like a slack job. It was written around the same time my writersblock kicked in. ... Yeah. Well, I hope you'll still enjoy it none the less. Thanks for reading this fic!))

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Epilogue, Botta's P.O.V.

I remember seeing it. The rebirth of the Great Kharlan tree. Accompanied by shimmers of light, the Great Seed fell to the earth, where it sprouted. Nobody knew for sure what had ensured that the seed accepted Derris-Kharlan's mana all of a sudden. It didn't matter.

At the time, the tree was just a small sapling. It needed protection to ensure that it would grow into majestic form that it once had.

I remember seeing her. Lady Martel. She resembled the girl I had seen in one of lord Yuan's old paintings, yet there were distinct differences. She introduced herself as the guardian of the tree and a reincarnation of all the souls that were sacrificed to the seed. She was mana itself. That was why she lacked a body. In her current form, she could merely watch over the tree, yet was unable to physically protect it.

Lloyd, lord Kratos' son, was to watch over the tree and ensure that it would grow. Instead of just any old promise, he made a pact. It was quite a sight to behold.

When I joined the Renegades, I never thought that I'd ever see something like this with my own eyes. Yet there it was. I had witnessed things normally only seen by heroes.

Speaking of heroes…

I doubt I'll ever find out what occurred between lord Kratos and Lloyd. When the entire ordeal was over, we returned to the base. Lord Kratos had a private conversation with Lloyd. Everyone was standing in the hallway, an ear pressed against the door as they tried to eavesdrop. There was a lot of shouting, though it seemed only Zelos could make out the exact words. Finally, lord Yuan caught us and told us to leave. A short while later, the two left the room and I noticed Lloyd didn't seem quite so upset anymore.

Sheena returned to the village of Mizuho, her mission completed. One day, that girl will become the new chief. She has what it takes. I'm sure of it.

Those two half-elves, Raine and Genis Sage… I remember hearing that they were going to travel around the world in hopes of making things easier for half-elves. We'd told them that they could join the Renegades to do that, yet they refused. A pity, really.

Lloyd and Zelos decided to travel the world together, vowing to destroy all the exspheres they could get their hands on. A tragedy such as this one must never be repeated. Now that Cruxis was no longer, Zelos could easily go wherever he wanted, without the title of Chosen One looming over his head. He seemed really relieved.

The Eternal Sword was split into two separate swords, left in the care of Heimdall's elves. However, before that happened, there was one thing that Lloyd still needed to do. One thing that still baffles me to this day.

I remember lord Yuan telling me about his plans. I remember being shocked, not understanding. I asked him what was to become of the Renegades. I doubt I'll ever forget his words.

"The will of the Renegades is a legacy that needs to be carried on. Even though our primary missions, the destruction of Cruxis and the salvation of the worlds, is now complete, there is still much work to be done. However, I won't be there to aid you anymore. I have full confidence that you will become an excellent leader, perhaps even surpassing myself. As long as you pour your heart and soul into it, the Renegades will always be there to watch over the world and the people who live in it."

With that, he turned and left.

I remember standing outside, watching Derris-Kharlan leave the planet's orbit. I silently said my farewells to lord Yuan and lord Kratos as well. Kharlan heroes, seraphim and the true leaders of the Renegades.


End file.
